All Posts

December 2017 By i sugar coat it! 28 Comments

Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies

Intensely flavoured, chewy and deliciously simple Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies, plus a giveaway for some of my favourite Rodelle ingredients!

'Tis the season for giving, folks!! Today I give you snow-capped Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies and a chance to win some of my favourite baking ingredients from Rodelle, as part of the 2017 Cookies with Rodelle Campaign!!

I should note that I have been a Rodelle Ambassador for about three years, but have used their vanilla beans and cocoa for much longer. So, when I was approached about the ambassador opportunity, it just seemed like a natural fit. They send me quality ingredients that I use in my baking and cooking that I, in turn, share with you all.

I could not think of a better way to showcase Rodelle's gourmet baking cocoa, than these Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies. Made with just a handful of ingredients, including nut meal instead of flour, the addition of cocoa makes for a deep chocolatey, chewy cookie experience.

Amaretti cookies are one of my faves around the holidays! For this batch, I subbed out half of the almond meal for hazelnut meal. Of course, you can stick with all almond meal, but the toasted hazelnuts really boosted the chocolatey (or for you fussy types cocoa-y) flavour.

In a recipe with such a short list of ingredients, I like to use the best possible. In addition to the Rodelle cocoa and pure almond extract, I used Marcona almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts like I did here. I prefer to make my own flour/meal, as needed, but both are readily available for purchase.

I can sit here and write you another paragraph on how simply delish these Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies are, but why, when you can easily whip up a batch of your own! And to help a little with your holiday baking needs, Rodelle has generously provided a few of my fave ingredients for one lucky I Sugar Coat It reader.

If you are aware of the price of vanilla these days, you will appreciate this little bakers' gift pack, which includes:

Organic Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa|Organic Rodelle Almond Extract|Rodelle Vanilla Bean Paste|Rodelle Whole Vanilla Beans|Organic Rodelle Chocolate Extract

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Thank you all for entering and sharing your favourite cookies with me!

The winner is Valentina | The Baking Fairy, comment #6!!

Giveaway is open to Canadian (except Quebec) and the United States. Contest closes on December 11th, 2017 11:59PM and is open to residents of legal age in the province, state or territory in which they reside at the time. Winner must answer a skill-testing question. No purchase necessary. Prize pack will be shipped to the winner directly from the sponsor, Rodelle. Winner will be chosen by random using Random.org number generator. See Full Sweepstakes Rules.

~~Here's How To Enter:~~

~~A comment and tweet are required for entry. Leave a comment below telling me your favourite holiday cookie and tweet this giveaway using the click to tweet message below.~~

~~[Tweet "Up your holiday baking game with a Rodelle prize pack from @isugarcoatit! Enter for a chance to win!"]~~

For more Rodelle-filled cookie ideas from my fellow ambassadors, visit Cookies With Rodelle!

Print Recipe

4.82 from 11 votes

Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies

Intensely flavoured, chewy and deliciously simple Chocolate Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies, plus a giveaway for some of my favourite Rodelle ingredients!

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Total Time22

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Servings: 25 cookies

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder I used Rodelle
300 grams icing sugar
20 grams cornstarch
150 grams finely ground almonds
150 grams finely ground hazelnuts
3 grams salt
135 grams egg whites approximately 4 large eggs, or use liquid egg whites
5 grams amaretto or pure almond extract
AN icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line two baking trays with silpat or parchment.
Use a sieve to sift cocoa powder, icing sugar, and cornstarch together into a large bowl.
Add the ground nuts and salt.
Stir the amaretto or extract into the egg whites. Add most of the egg white mixture to the dry ingredients, until a thick, firm batter is formed. If the batter is too dry, continue to add the remaining egg whites.
Dip a small ice cream scoop into the bowl of icing sugar reserved for decorating and then scoop the batter onto the lined baking sheets. This will cover the dough in the sugar to create that snow-capped finish to your cookies. It also helps prevent the batter from sticking to the ice cream scoop!
Bake for 7-9 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool completely.

November 2017 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee packed with some of my favourite fall flavours and cooked to velvety smooth perfection.

I love all things pumpkin, so it's a little surprising that this Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee is my first pumpkin recipe of the season! If you follow my Instagram feed, then you may remember seeing me make these on my #sousvidesundayseries story last weekend.

I love using my sous vide to make custard bases, because it is simply fool-proof and effortless. I also love that while we are at work, that 24-hour brisket is at home cooking to perfection. A quick broil or sear when we get home and dinner is ready in a snap!

This Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee is easy peasy! I started with some of my favourite flavours that I used here, topped with my long-time whipped coconut cream topping and added a little crunch with some leftover crumble from a bonbon recipe I recently made. (wow, that's a long sentence...)

A quick crack of the thin sheet of caramelized sugar revealed a decadently, smooth and flavourful spiced custard. If you are a chai or pumpkin fan, like I am, this dessert will hit all the right spots.

Tips for Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee Success:

I use canned pumpkin puree from time to time, but nothing beats homemade, if and when time allows. No sous vide? Use your oven to cook up a batch of your own puree. Leftovers may be refrigerated for a week or two, or frozen for a few months.
When sealing the mason jars, do not tighten the lid all the way - this may cause the glass to crack from built up pressure. You want to close it tight enough so that water does not get it, but where it requires little effort to unscrew the lid with your finger tips.
Torch the sugar just before serving and do not return to the refrigerator after this step. Sugar is hygroscopic and will soften as it absorbs moisture.
If this is your first foray into bruleeing, use white granulated sugar. You will be able to better gauge doneness with less risk of over torching.

Here's a quick video for those who like visual cooking aids.

Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee packed with some of my favourite fall flavours and cooked to velvety smooth perfection.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee packed with some of my favourite fall flavours and cooked to velvety smooth perfection.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: creams and custards, creme brulee, sous vide

Servings: 4 servings

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Equipment:

sous vide immersion cooker
heat-proof bin or pot
jar lifter or tongs

For the pumpkin puree:

1 small pumpkin

For the custard:

350 grams cream coconut or 35%
6 grams chai blend homemade, or store-bought
5 egg yolks
70 grams pumpkin puree homemade, or store-bought
65 grams granulated sugar
14 grams muscovado sugar
3 grams vanilla bean paste
pinch salt

For the toppings:

muscovado sugar for bruleeing
whipped coconut cream optional
chai crumble optional

Instructions

Make the puree:

Set the sous vide cooker to heat the water bath to 85ºC/185ºF.
Wash, peel and cu pumpkin into small cubes. Place in a food-safe vacuum bag and seal. (see tips above, if you do not have a vacuum sealer) Cook in water heated bath for 50 minutes.
When ready, remove cooked pumpkin from water bath and add to a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender. Set aside to cool.

Make the custard:

Reduce water bath temperature to 80ºC/176ºF. Add the empty mason jars to warm with the water. This will help prevent cracks and breakage.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream and chai spice. You may choose to heat the cream, but it is not necessary. In this instance, I warmed the cream and spices.
In a medium bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients until well combined - I like to use an immersion blender. Slowly stream the cream/chai mixture into the pumpkin mixture, while mixing. Remove jars from water bath, dry the insides and evenly distribute among the four jars and seal, finger-tips-tight with the lids. (see tips above)
Submerge the jars in the heated water bath and cook for 60 minutes. Remove from the water bath when ready and place on a towel on the counter to cool at room temp. Transfer to an ice bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight ideally.
Remove from the refrigerator and let sit for 10-15 minutes before bruleeing. Sprinkle with sugar and use a culinary torch to caramelize the sugar.
Serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream and sprinkle of chai crumble.

November 2017 By i sugar coat it! 18 Comments

Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon

Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon with a layer of port-soaked mission fig compote and velvety mascarpone cheesecake, wrapped in dark chocolate.

I've got a delightful little treat for you today, Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon! Just like a cheesecake, wrapped in a thin, bite-sized chocolate shell and bursting with flavour.

A few weeks ago, I made a set of dessert-themed bonbons for a hostess gift. I had extras and took them in to work. All three flavours went over well, but this flavour had the best reaction. So, I thought I'd share!

If you like figs, then you will most definitely like the layer of fig compote that oozes from the shell when cut, or bitten into. It read more like caramel on the palate, but without overpowering the other component - cheesecake ganache.

I've shared a cheese ganache with you before, but using goat cheese. This version uses a vanilla-laced blend of mascarpone and cream cheese.

The two layers pair so deliciously well, without competing.

Sweet Tips for Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon Success:

Always start with a clean mold. After washing my molds by hand with warm water, I clean with cotton and alcohol. This also helps with the shine of the finished chocolate.
I prefer polycarbonate molds - they are more durable and rigid. Hobby grade molds are a great place to start, but can be frustrating to work with, especially when inverting to drian the excess chocolate.
Ensure your cocoa butter and chocolate are properly tempered for best results. This will ensure easy removal of finished bonbons and an impeccable shine and snap.
You don't need fancy equipment to decorate your molds, gloved fingers, paintbrushes, sponges and even a clean toothbrush will do the trick.

I am working on a post that walks you through the steps with much better photos and a video. Leave me a note below, if there is anything in particular you would like me to cover.

[Tweet "A deliciously fun way to enjoy cheesecake - Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon"]

Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon with a layer of port-soaked mission fig compote and velvety mascarpone cheesecake, wrapped in dark chocolate.

Print Recipe

4.38 from 8 votes

Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon

Mission Fig Cheesecake Bonbon with a layer of port-soaked mission fig compote and velvety cheesecake ganache, wrapped in dark chocolate.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Chocolate

Servings: 30 bonbons

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the bonbons:

400 grams dark chocolate Valrhona Ilanka, 63%
cocoa butter in various colours
chocolate molds preferably, polycarbonate
scraper

For the compote:

135 grams Black Mission figs
188 grams port wine
21 grams demerara sugar
2 small Rodelle cinnamon sticks
1 whole star anise
orange zest

For the ganache:

210 grams white chocolate Valrhona Ivoire, 35%
75 grams cream cheese softened
75 grams mascarpone
15 grams invert sugar
25 grams glucose
1 Rodelle vanilla bean scraped
pinch salt

Instructions

Cast the shells:

Decorate the molds in a design of your preference. I used small paint brushes to splatter the colours. Then I airbrushed a thin layer of cocoa butter/chocolate mixture.

To make the compote:

Wash, de-stem and quarter the figs and add to a heavy saucepan with the other ingredients. Stir to combine and bring to a light boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer until the figs break down and the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat cover and allow to cool completely. Once cool, remove the cinnamon stick, anise and orange pieces. Process with a few pulses in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a mason/canning jar and set aside.

To make the ganache:

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and set aside.
Place the invert sugar and glucose in a small, heavy bottom saucepan. Add the cheese and vanilla beans in a small bowl and and cream using a wooden spoon. Add to the saucepan with the sugars, combine and heat just to soften.
While stirring the cheese mixture, add the chocolate and mix to combine. Further emulsify the ganache with an immersion blender, until smooth and fully incorporated. Allow to cool.

Assemble the bonbons:

Transfer the compote and ganache to separate piping bags, snip a small opening off the tips of each. Pipe a dollop of the compote into the shells and top with the ganache. Allow to set, then cap the bonbons with a thin layer of chocolate. Allow to set, the unmold.

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Sous Vide Garlic Confit

Sous Vide Garlic Confit is the perfect addition to everything from pizza to pasta to toast and only requires two ingredients.

My favourite pizza topping, next to ALL the cheese, is garlic confit. Today, I'm bringing it to you sous vide style, for my #sousvidesundayseries, with this Sous Vide Garlic Confit. It's one of those things that is ridiculously simple, but absolutely delicious and really doesn't require a recipe, per se.

We love it on all the things from toast to pizza to meat. This being Halloween weekend, loads of garlic seem appropriate.

If you follow my insta-stories over on Instagram, you would have caught my behind-the-scene making of this glorious condiment about a month ago. You would have also caught me dropping one of the jars, as I removed it, and burning myself. But that's life in the kitchen with me...

We always keep a batch on hand, because we are both serious garlic lovers. If you are a garlic-lover and have never made it, you need to change that STAT! It's awesome with roasted or mashed potatoes and most other side dishes, great with pasta and is the base of most of the pizzas we (read: the Dude) make around here.

Having always made it in the oven, it was time to try it sous vide.

Sous Vide Garlic Confit requires only two ingredients - garlic (duh!) and fat - but you can also add fresh herbs and a pinch of salt, if you like. We normally use olive oil or avocado oil to make it, but this time we used duck fat. Mainly because we had some on hand from the batch we made around Thanksgiving, but also, it is super flavourful. We also added some fresh thyme.

The completed confit imparts an irresistible mellow, sweet, nutty flavour. You can use the melt-in-your-mouth garlic and oil together, or separately. You can also replace fresh garlic with confit in your cooking.

Not familiar with confit?

French for preserved, confit is a process of slow cooking and storing food in fat. The food is cooked at low temperature for a long period, which makes it the perfect candidate for sous vide. However, you do not need a sous vide, or any special equipment, to make confit. So, grab a few heads of garlic, heat your oven to 250º and get cooking!

Not a fan of garlic? You can make confit with other vegetables (peppers, onions, squash etc.), or meat (most popular being duck, as well as turkey and tough cuts).

The photo directly above shows the confit in its first hour of cooking. The one directly below shows the confit at four hours.

Sweet Tips for Sous Vide Garlic Confit Success:

You may cook the garlic whole, but I am not a fan of the messy extraction. So, I peel and peel and peel with the knowledge that the end result will most certainly be worth it.
Ensure your mason jars are well cleaned, or sanitized, so as not to risk contamination.
When sealing the mason jar, do not tighten the lid all the way - this may cause the glass to crack. You want to close it tight enough so that water does not get it, but where it requires little effort to unscrew the lid with your finger tips. Or, you can skip the jar and cook in a ziplock bag, using the water displacement method. See my past #sousvidesundayseries posts.
Under certain conditions, garlic can produce bacteria spores that cause botulism, so it is extremely important to immediately cool the confit in its jar in a ice bath after cooking and keep it refrigerated. Check out this post for more information.
No sous vide? No problem! Simply add garlic and oil to a heat-proof dish and cook for 2-3 hours at 250F.
Confit may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two months, but it never lasts that long around here and I never keep it for more than a couple weeks.

[Tweet "Create next-level savoury dishes with this flavourful and versatile #sousvide Garlic Confit"]

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sous Vide Garlic Confit

Sous Vide Garlic Confit is the perfect addition to everything from pizza to pasta to toast and only requires two ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Total Time4 15

Course: Condiment

Servings: 1

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Special Equipment:

sous vide immersion cooker
heat-proof bin or pot
sous vide container lid
jar lifter

For the confit:

2-3 heads garlic whole or peeled
olive oil or duck fat as needed to cover garlic
fresh thyme optional

Instructions

Set your sous vide immersion cooker to 190ºF/88ºC and allow the water to heat up.
If keeping the garlic whole, cut the top off the garlic head. If not, separate and peel each clove.
Add the garlic to a jar, layer with thyme, if using, and top up with fat. Seal the jar. (see tip above)
Submerge the sealed jar in the heated water and cook for 4 hours.
Close to the end of 4 hours, prepare an ice bath. Remove the jar from the hot bath and allow cool at room temperature before submerging in an ice bath for 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately refrigerate. If cooking in a vacuum bag, immediately submerge in the ice bath after cooking, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

Notes

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles

Decadent Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles packed with cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, fresh cherries and homemade buckwheat flour.

These decadent Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles, topped with juicy summer fruits, may seem a little odd for a post this late in October. I made them and shared a sneak peek on Instagram, back when cherry season was at its peak... and just like that, we're almost through October!!

Seriously though, where does the time go? I know this is normally a rhetorical question, but I really need an answer... somebody? anybody? There's a stack of waffles in it for you! 🙂

I like foods that blur the line between meals. These chocolate and cherry packed hearts certainly do that. They work well alongside a brunch spread, but could easily be enjoyed as dessert, when topped with ice cream, or whipped cream, or chocolate sauce, or all of the above.

The addition of kirsch-soaked cherry puree to the batter may help with your decision-making. 😉 But we won't judge.

In my most recent batch, I replaced the cherry puree with pears puree (sans alcohol) to make them a little more seasonal. They were a HIT - even with a discerning five-year old visitor - so I'll share them with you soon.

I've been a little smitten with buckwheat these days, but I was running low on my supply when I made these Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles. We keep raw and tasted groats on hand (the Dude likes them for cereal), so I decided to experiment making my own flour with both. Easy peasy, but with very different results in the taste department. Will share more about that in a future post.

If making your own does not interest you, you should be able to find buckwheat flour in some grocery stores. You can also find it at Bulk Barn, if you are comfortable buying open stock food, or you can go the Amazon route.

The stars of these Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles are the cocoa and chocolate. I built on this recipe from Bon Appetit and used Rodelle Gormet Baking Cocoa and Valrhona Illanka 63%, which pairs deliciously with black fruit. I've also made them with Guanaja 70% - top notch waffle action! I wanted to take advantage of the cherries I had on hand, so I pureed and added some to the batter.

The batch I made with all buckwheat flour was a little overpowering, so I split it with AP flour. You can also sub a GF blend for the AP and match it with the buckwheat, if you have a gluten sensitivity.

Sweet Tips For Making Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles:

If you can find organic buckwheat groats, try making your own flour. Guaranteed fresh and delicious!
Experiment with in-season fruits and different chocolates, for a flavour all your own.
I am not a fan of pieces of cooked fruit in my desserts, so I pureed the cherries. If you like cooked fruit, feel free to add them whole. or chopped.
Be sure to read your griddle's manufacturer's instructions - some need to be lightly coated with cooking spray.
For light, fluffy waffles, separate the eggs and add the egg whites to the prepared batter. Also, do not over-mix the batter.
Buttermilk adds a subtle tang to these waffles, but if you don't have any on hand, simply add one tablespoon of white vinegar, or citrus juice like lemon, to one cup milk. Let set for about ten minutes and voila, a decent buttermilk substitute is born. I also keep powdered buttermilk on hand, as it has a longer shelf life than its liquid counterpart.
When feeding a crowd, heat your oven to a low temp to keep the waffles warm as you make them.
Leftover waffles freeze well. Just allow them to cool and store in an airtight container, separated by parchment paper. I sometimes vacuum seal them for guaranteed freshness over a longer period. Defrost and toast when ready to enjoy!

Decadent Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles packed with cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, fresh cherries and homemade buckwheat flour.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles

Decadent Dark Chocolate Cherry Buckwheat Waffles packed with cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, fresh cherries and homemade buckwheat flour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Waffles

Servings: 6

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Special Equipment:

food processor or blender
waffle iron

For the flour:

4 cups buckwheat groats

For the waffles:

125 grams all-purpose flour or gluten-free blend
170 grams buckwheat flour
56 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
55 grams muscovado sugar or brown sugar (packed)
7 grams baking powder
4 grams baking soda
5 grams kosher salt
3 large eggs separated
411 grams buttermilk
65 grams cherry puree
108 grams olive oil
5 grams vanilla extract
170 grams bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Toppings:

unsalted butter, pure maple syrup and fresh fruits as needed

Instructions

Make the flour:

Place the groats in a food processor and pulse to a fine powder.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Make the waffles:

Coarsely chop the chocolate and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
In a measuring cup or bowl, combine the egg yolks, buttermilk, fruit puree, oil, and vanilla.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula, just until combined.
With a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter, in two additions, just until combined. Fold in chopped chocolate.
Heat a waffle iron following the manufacturer's directions. Add batter to the centre of the waffle iron once fully heated, close lid and cook.
Top with butter and maple syrup while still warm. Serve with fresh fruits, whipped cream, or chocolate drizzle.

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears + Video

Cooked to perfection, these Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears make a delightful treat, paired with spiced pecans and mascarpone cream.

I'm serving up a plate of sexy, sparkly, scrumptious Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears for this instalment of Sous Vide Sunday.

So, The Sinner! Have you watched it? The last episode aired the other night and I have such mixed feelings. In the first episode - the main character, played by Jessica Biel, is on a picnic at the beach with her husband and son when she suddenly gets up and stabs a dude, two blankets over, multiple times.

With the 'who' revealed, the series eight episodes that follow, delve into the 'why'. And it's disturbingly good. I'll leave things there, so that I don't ruin it for anyone currently watching.

OK, back to these Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears. I've made David Lebovitz's Baked Marsala Pears in the past, so I thought I would try a sous vide version. I used pretty much the same ingredient list - he used Conference pears, I used Bartlett/Williams. I peeled the pears, his were skin on. He used icing sugar, I used demerara. His were baked, mine sous vide. I served mine with mascarpone cream and spiced pecans to add a contrasting texture.

The variations were based solely on what I had on hand and what suited the cooking technique.

I know, I know... for someone who doesn't like cooked fruit, I sure seem to be piling them on lately. I made these Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears for company a few weeks ago. I loved how the marsala wine infused the pears with its warm, chocolatey, toffee flavour.

We normally keep a bottle of Marsala wine on hand for cooking. If you are in my neck of the woods, you can buy it at the LCBO for $14 all the way up to $185. It's a fortified wine from Sicily that adds a wonderful flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes. Hint - it's amazing in tiramisu!

I was first introduced to Marsala wine in Zabaglione, an Italian type of sabayon. The lightest, creamiest, most delicious topping for a bowl of fresh fruits. I recently made a sous vide version that I'll be sharing with you soon.

Sweet Tips For Making Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears:

Start with firm, ripe pears that have been washed - preferably organic.
You may need to shave a bit off the bottom of the pear to help them stay upright in the pouch.
Immediately cooling the cooked pears off in a water bath helps to quickly slow/stop the cooking, if you plan to store them in the refrigerator. If not, you can have them while still warm.
You may enjoy the pears as is, or use for other applications like pie, crostata, crisp, puree for baking, drinks or bonbons. In the past, we have paired them with pork as a side.
The cooked pears along with the poaching liquids may be stored in the sealed vacuum pouch in the refrigerator for a couple days.
To serve, heat the poaching liquid to reduce it to a caramel sauce consistency and drizzle over the pears.

Here's a video showing how I made them!

Cooked to perfection, these Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears make a delightful treat, paired with spiced pecans and mascarpone cream.

Print Recipe

4.50 from 4 votes

Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears

Cooked to perfection, these Sous Vide Marsala Poached Pears make a delightful treat, paired with spiced pecans and mascarpone cream.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Sous Vide

Keyword: pears

Servings: 4

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Special Equipment:

sous vide immersion cooker
heat-proof bin or pot
vacuum sealer
pouches or zip bags

For the pears (adapted from David Lebovitz):

4 pears I used Bartlett a.k.a Williams
½ cup marsala wine dry
11/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons demerara sugar

For the mascarpone cream:

⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
½ cup 35% whipping cream or coconut cream
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

For the spiced pecans:

1 cup pecans halves
3 tablespoons browned butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon mix of cinnamon, nutmeg

Instructions

Poach the pears:

Heat the water bath to 80ºC/176ºF.
Wash and peel the pears and place in pouch with all the ingredients. Seal pouch and submerge in heated water. Cook for 30 minutes
Remove from water bath when finished and serve warm. If you plan to store in the refrigerator until ready to use, then immediately submerge in an ice bath before refrigerating.
Heat the poaching liquid in a small saucepan until it is reduced to half. Use to drizzle onto pears for serving.

Make the whipped cream:

To a chilled bowl, add the chilled cream and mascarpone cheese. Whisk until soft peaks form, then add the other ingredients. Whip to stable peaks - still soft, but able to hold it's shape when piped.

Make the pecans:

Toss the pecans with the spices in a small bowl.
Add the butter and syrup to a skillet and melt over medium heat until simmering. Add the spiced pecans and stir until well covered with the butter/syrup mixture. Spread onto parchment paper to cool.

Assembly:

Place pear on a plate and drizzle with marsala sauce (see above). Pipe dollops of whipped mascarpone cream with a plain round tip and sprinkle pecans on the plate. Enjoy!

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 12 Comments

Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes

Flavour-packed, melt-in-your-mouth Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes, drizzled with orange caramel and topped with candied pistachio.

I am in love with these Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes. Not only are they pretty in all their mini heritage bundtliness, but the flavour combo is hella fine!

It's reminiscent of a gelato flavour I had while on vacation some years ago. The memory of the taste has remained with me and I finally got around to replicating that gelato over the summer. Ice cream out of the way, I thought I would try it in cake form!

Pistachio is one of my absolute favourite nuts! Some might say it's the pink/red and green colour combo - see site branding :). Or, it may be that they share bloodlines with cashew, which is another fave. I think it's that drab, tough-to-crack shell that gives way to a colourful, rich, nutty jewel - you know, like an oyster and pearl - the old it's what's on the inside adage.

These Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes are flavour-packed with freshly ground pistachios, marcona almonds, buckwheat flour, browned butter, demerara sugar and citrus zest. The fresh orange and cointreau soaking syrup provides just the right amount of sweetness (read: booziness) and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

I tend to incorporate ancient grains in pancakes, scones, waffles etc, and have started to experiment with them more in cookies, cakes and pastries. I have chocolate chunk cookies made with tigernuts from about four years ago. I shared them on IG and no one seemed to know what the hell I was talking about, so I shelved them. The flour was hard to find and I didn't want to post something for which folks could not find the main ingredient. They were really good, so I may pull them out of the vault now that I see you can get tigernut flour on Amazon.

All the ingredients in these Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes are fairly accessible. Better, you can make your own nut flours, like I've done here. I typically use a coffee grinder for small quantities and a food processor for larger quantities.

I've been playing with fruit and vegetable caramels for bonbons and thought I'd use them with a few desserts, like this more recently.

I made an orange caramel to complement the orange flavour in the cakes and although the cakes will do just fine without it... WHY? 😉 If you want to skip making the caramel, use a little of the soaking syrup to drizzle on the cakes, instead.

Top with a mix of roasted and crystallized pistachios for a little crunch and bling and serve them up!

Sweet Tips for Success:

I've heard from a few of you that your cakes don't come out clean from your Bundt pans. You can find my tips for perfect release here.
The almonds and pistachios are the stars of this recipe, so ensure that they are fresh and of good quality. I used Marcona almonds - they are a gourmet almond from Spain and pictured in the above shots. They are rounder in shape, a little sweeter, softer and less dry. Their aroma reminds me of almond extract my grandmother used in her baking when we were kids. An old colleague turned me on to a specialty Middle Eastern shop, where I get my pistachios. I keep my nuts in large air-tight mason jars in a cool dry area of my home.
In instances where I am using the zest, my preference is organic citrus fruits for obvious reasons.
The nut meals in the recipe are also referred to as flour. I find it best to make your own using a clean coffee grinder for small quantities, or a food processor or blender for larger quantities.
I use a coffee grinder reserved for making my own nut meal (and fruit powders). This way I get the meal texture I want - coarse for cakes like this and fine in the case of macarons, for instance.
You can omit the caramel (I'll just pretend I don't know you...), but don't forego the syrup - it's what helps give and maintain the cake's melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweetness.
I used buckwheat flour, which, despite it's name, is not a grain, nor is it related to wheat, but rhubarb and sorrel and is high in essential nutrients and resistant fibre. For those with gluten sensitivities, buckwheat is gluten-free. I used it for its nutty, earthy flavour.
Because buckwheat won't rise like a regular flour, I filled my molds almost to the the edge. They baked up with a perfectly uniformed, flat base.

What's your favourite nut, or nut-based dessert?

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes

Flavour-packed, melt-in-your-mouth Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes, drizzled with orange caramel and topped with candied pistachio.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Servings: 6 mini cakes

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the cake:

250 grams browned butter liquid
200 grams demerara sugar
4 eggs lightly beaten
120 grams almond meal
100 grams pistachio meal
50 grams buckwheat flour or 50/50 buckwheat and all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend
4 grams baking powder
zest of 1 large organic orange

For the syrup:

60 grams demerara
juice of 1-2 large oranges
cointreau or triple sec to taste optional

For the caramel:

100 grams demerara sugar
80 grams freshly squeezed orange juice I used cara cara oranges
20 grams glucose or corn syrup
30 grams unsalted butter
275 grams 35% heavy cream
orange extract to taste
pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease holds and set on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the almond, pistachio, buckwheat flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium until well combined.
While the mixer is running on low, add the eggs slowly and mix until fully incorporated.
Change the mixer setting to stir and add the nuts and flour mixture.
Remove bowl from the stand and use a spatula to fold in the zest.
Pipe or scoop the batter into the molds, filling each close to the top edge.
Bake for 30—35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Make the syrup:

Add the sugar and orange juice to a small saucepan and heat to melt the sugar. Pour over the cakes, while still warm.

To make caramel:

Heat the cream and set aside.
To a deep pot, add the juice, glucose and the sugar and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has melted. Continue to cook to a medium golden colour.
Add the warmed cream slowly to deglaze. It will bubble up, so a deep pot comes in handy. Remove from heat and stir in the butter immediately. Allow to cool a little before the orange extract.
When cooled, drizzle onto cakes and top with a mix of caramelized and roasted pistachios.

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 16 Comments

3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes

These 3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes, featuring beets, carrots and potatoes, add a touch of fall flavour and colour to your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers and friends who celebrate! Even if you don't, these 3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes make a colourful and flavourful addition to any meal.

My most recent episode of my #sousvidesista on Instagram featured this trio of sides dishes. They were to accompany a sous vide turkey for a pre-Thanksgiving gathering with friends. We decided to abandon the turkey and opted for a sous vide chicken, which turned out so good, I may have to share it with ya'll.

Not to worry, I always have something sweet waiting in the wings - just check my blog name. 🙂

Sous Vide Browned Butter Glazed Carrots

The first of these 3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes, is this attractive bunch of organic, heirloom carrots I picked up at the Farmers' market on Tuesday. We added browned butter, brown sugar, sage and seasoning, but instead of throwing them in the oven, or on the grill, we sealed them in a plastic pouch and gave them a bath.

Once in the heated water bath, the butter and sugar will melt into a liquid that will later become the glaze that makes this side popular among my peeps. I prefer the raw crunch of carrots, so the cooked version needs to have a fair bit of that crunch for me to enjoy it. These had a little crunch and a whole lot of flavour.

Sous Vide Duck Fat Roasted Baby Potatoes

If you're thinking sous vide and crispy don't belong in the same sentence, you're right. It's why searing, grilling and broiling play such big roles in the sous vide process. Although, you could skip the browning, cook for an additional half hour and you've got yourself the creamiest mash EVAH!

I love my potatoes oven-roasted or grilled, so back when we first made these I had serious doubts. Not only were they surprisingly good, they have become serious rivals for my baked version. The dude makes a sweet potato version that is killer.

[Tweet "Add some flavourful colour to your table with 3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes"]

To the pouch we added baby potatoes, halved, with fresh thyme (rosemary works deliciously well), rendered duck fat and seasoning. Once cooked, all the contents of the pouch are added to the skillet for roasting, stovetop. The result is a soft, creamy interior wrapped in a delicately crispy exterior.

Sous Vide Maple Orange Beets

At the last minute, I added fresh orange slices and pure maple syrup to the beets before sealing the pouch. The Dude isn't a big fan of beets, so I was hoping to sway him a little with this combination, which was also topped with generous crumbles of goat cheese. It went over well with everyone, but him.

When added to the skillet, the juices quickly thickened to a gorgeous glistening, jewel-tone glaze. If only it looked as pretty on my shirt. 🙁

Sweet Tips for Success:

We cooked all three dishes at the same temperature at the same time, which cut our time in the kitchen down significantly the day of.
We left the skins on my potatoes, mostly because someone was too lazy to peel little potatoes, but also, we think roasted potatoes taste better in their skin. We scrubbed the potatoes, but the beets and carrots we peeled.
We packaged the veggies with their flavourings the night prior to minimize prep, because the holidays can get s little stressful.
If you don't have a vacuum sealer, use freezer bags that are safe for use with sous vide and remove the air using the water displacement method.
Check out my sous vide videos here and here for a quick glimpse at the basics.

Print Recipe

4.20 from 5 votes

3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes

These 3 Simple Sous Vide Vegetable Side Dishes, featuring beets, carrots and potatoes, add a touch of fall flavour and colour to your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: savoury, sous vide

Servings: 8

Author: i sugar coat it!

Equipment

Sous Vide Immersion Cooker
Cast Iron Pot or Heat-proof Container
Sous Vide Bags
Vacuum Sealer

Ingredients

For the carrots:

1 bunch heirloom carrots
1 tablespoon browned butter
2 teaspoons demerara sugar
3 leaves fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste

For the beets:

2 large beets
2 slices fresh orange
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

For the potatoes:

12 baby potatoes halved
2 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

For all sides:

Heat the water bath to 84ºC/183ºF.
Wash the vegetables well and pat dry. Chop the tops and tips off the carrots and peel with a peeler. Do the same with the beets and cut into quarters. Scrub the potato skins clean and cut in half.
Prepare three vacuum pouches and add the contents of each vegetable to a separate pouch along with the specified ingredients from above. Seal the pouches and submerge in the heated water bath. Allow to cook for an hour.
When almost finished, heat a skillet. Starting with the carrots, cut open the pouch and pour all the contents in the heated skillet. Cook until the glaze thickens. Transfer to a serving dish.
Wipe the skillet and repeat with the potatoes, then beets. We did the beets last so that they won't stain the other veggies.
Top the beets with goat's cheese, top the potatoes with parmesan flakes and drizzle the carrots with the glaze.

October 2017 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake

Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake with carrot caramel pecans makes a perfectly decadent centrepiece for your Thanksgiving celebration!

After two weeks of heatwave weather, it finally feels like fall and I am embracing it with this Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake. Fresh carrots baked up with browned butter, buckwheat flour, demerara sugar, fall spices and finished with cinnamon vanilla bean whipped mascarpone topped with carrot caramel pecans!

The Dude, who is more a salty snacks guy, proclaimed it one of the best cakes EVAH! He's brutally honest about everything I make, so I know he wasn't just being the supportive partner. Anyhooo, I repaid the compliment by taking the cake into work, where it magically disappeared in less than ten minutes. To this, he did not respond well.

Had I kept this Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake in the house a second longer, it would have easily planted itself on my hips and thighs. For that reason, but not before sampling the goods, I quickly find homes away from mine for my baked goods. This generally includes neighbours, friends and colleagues. My family isn't that big on sweets. I know.... I often wonder if I was adopted. 🙂

But I digress.

I like my carrot cake without the unnecessary add-ins like nuts, fruits and the like. This recipe is adapted from here and here. What makes it special is the browned butter, coupled with the demerara sugar and buckwheat flour. Together they provide a deeper, more complex flavour.

I have nothing against cream cheese frosting, except that I prefer mascarpone for it super creamy texture and mildly sour notes. Flavoured with a little cinnamon and lots of tiny vanilla bean specks, it's the perfect match for this carrot cake.

If you have been around here long enough, you know how much I love a contrasting texture in my desserts. Although not of fan of nuts baked into my carrot cake, I do love it as a topping. Enter carrot caramel drenched roasted pecans!

I made the caramel a day prior and just wasn't in the mood to caramelize the nuts when I was putting the final touched to the cake. So, I roasted the nuts and while they were still piping hot out of the oven, I drizzled, ok... drenched them in some of the carrot caramel. I then tossed them and returned the tray to the oven for about a minute, then took them out tossed them again and allowed them to cool in the tray.

We'll call it lazy-girl caramelized nuts!

I had no intention of adding drips to the cake, but the caramel could not be contained when drizzled onto the nuts atop the cake. Luckily, it was just on one side of the cake, so I was still able to keep the somewhat simple, no-fuss look I intended for this Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake.

Sweet Tips For Success:

make sure your brown butter is in liquid form to imitate the oil called for in the original recipe.
if you don't have the silicone mold I used (LOVE!!!), you can substitute two 6 or 7-inch pans, a small Bundt pan, or cupcake pan.
you can play with the flours' ratio, but may need to adjust the baking powder, so you don't lose the rise.
for best results, chill the coconut milk/cream the night before and ensure the cheese, as well as the bowl are all chilled.
be patient, unlike regular whipped cream, it takes a while to whip up the mascarpone frosting to stable peaks. Corn starch, or a whipped cream stabilizer may be added, if needed.
this whipped topping is best used same day, but if you find yourself with leftovers (gasp!), a brief re-whip will fluff it right back up.

I really loved this cake! I think you will too and hope that you'll whip one up for Thanksgiving, or you know, just because. If you do, would you stick with mascarpone, or whip up your fave cream cheese frosting? I'd love to know!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake

Whipped Mascarpone Browned Butter Carrot Cake with carrot caramel pecans makes a perfectly decadent centrepiece for your Thanksgiving celebration!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Servings: 10

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the cake:

230 grams freshly shredded/grated carrots
200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
45 grams buckwheat flour
4 grams ground cinnamon
5 grams baking soda
5 grams table salt
2 grams baking powder
1 gram freshly ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
172.5 grams browned butter liquid
102 grams granulated sugar
72 grams demerara sugar
3 eggs
20 grams vanilla bean paste

For the whipped mascarpone:

41 grams mascarpone cheese
117 grams coconut cream or 35% whipping cream
20 grams maple syrup
1 gram ground cinnamon
3 grams vanilla bean paste

For the caramel:

946 grams carrot juice
14 grams unsalted butter
5 grams salt

Instructions

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the silicone mold on a baking sheet.
Using a food processor, or hand-held grater, shred the carrots and set aside. I used about 10 carrots to get the desired amount, but the quantity may differ for you depending on the size of your carrots.
In a large bowl, sift together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
Add the browned butter, granulated sugar and demerara sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.
Crack your eggs into a bowl with a spout. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time to the sugar/butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Add the vanilla bean paste.
Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture. Start on the stir setting of your stand mixer so that the flour doesn't go flying, then increase to medium speed until just combined. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides down and beat for a few seconds more.
Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and fold the grated carrots into the batter using a spatula or wooden spoon. Spoon or pipe the batter into the mold, about ¾ of the way. Tap the baking sheet a couple times, so that the batter levels in the mold and air bubbles surface.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Once cooled, unmold and allow to cool completely.

Make the whipped topping:

To a chilled bowl, add the chilled coconut cream and mascarpone cheese. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Add the other ingredients and whip to firm peaks.

Make the caramel (adapted from FoodNetwork.com:

Add carrot juice to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Add the butter and salt and emulsify the with a blender.

Assembly:

Unmold the cake once completely cooled. Use an offset spatula to spread the whipped topping and smooth with a scraper. Allow to chill in the refrigerator.
While chilling, roast some pecans at 350º for 5-7 minutes. Drench with caramel while still hot, toss and return to the oven for no more than a minute. Remove from oven toss again. Allow to cool and top the cake off with pecans and a little drizzle of caramel.
ENJOY!!