Category Archives: Desserts
Lemon Meringue S’mores
I was fortunate to spend mother’s day with my mom last year and again this year (my parents moved to Colorado not long ago). This means cooking my mom’s favorite dishes (my fried shrimps) and whatever lemon meringue concoction I come up with. This year, it was lemon meringue s’mores and wow – so easy, so light, and so delicious! More importantly, my mom was a huge fan! I went on to use the curd recipe to make key lime s’mores – simply sub the lemons for limes. So easy!
Please note that I did not use chocolate. It didn’t seem to fit. I did try it – you know, just in case. But, I wouldn’t advise it.
This recipe makes at least 8 s’mores depending on how heavily you spread the curd on to the graham cracker.
Ingredients:
For the curd
2 eggs
1 lemon: zest of & juice of (about 2 tsp & 3 tbsp, respectively)
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 c butter (4 tbsp), chopped
Everything else
2 graham crackers for every s’more
1 marshmallow for every s’more
Directions:
for the curd
1. Whisk eggs, lemon zest & juice and sugar in a small saucepan, no heat.
2. Add the butter bits, then bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking all the while.
3. After three minutes or so, you’ll begin to see the bottom of the pan here and there as you whisk, and the mixture will almost instantly thicken.
4. Remove from heat and chill in fridge until needed.
Toasting and Assembly
1. Place one graham cracker per s’more on a lined cookie sheet.
2. Place one marshmallow on top of each cracker. Picture an open-faced s’more.
3. Broil on low for about 20 seconds. You have to watch these carefully so they don’t burn but you definitely want them browned on top.
4. Once the marshmallow looks toasted remove from the oven.
5. While those cool just a little, spread the lemon curd to desired thickness on the topper crackers for each s’more.
6. Take the toppers and assemble the s’mores by smashing each topper on to the toasted marshmallow.
Enjoy the gooey goodness!
Mini Doughnuts
Lately, the idea of baking little doughnuts intrigues me. There are so many different kinds of doughnuts and they don’t need to be sweet, necessarily. In fact, my mom made rosemary “fonuts” recently. I’m not sure why they are called “fonuts”. I’m thinking they should more appropriately be called “fauxnuts” but once I look closer at the recipe I may have a better idea of what I am dealing with. At any rate, they were delish. I guess the mini-doughnut is the next mini-cupcake. Whether savory or sweet, it is hard to have just one. Consider yourself warned.
This recipe, found on Foodgawker.com, is from Good Thymes and Good Food and was intended to regular-sized doughnuts. I changed the recipe to accomodate a mini-doughnut pan. Makes about 24 mini doughnuts.
Ingredients:
For the Doughnuts:
5 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
scant ½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup milk
For the topping:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup sugar
1 heaping tbsp. ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Spray and doughnut pan generously with cooking spray, set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg and beat well, scraping down the sides as needed, about another minute.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
5. With the mixer on low, a little at a time, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down bowl and beat for about 10 seconds, just until mixed; do not overmix.
6. Using a piping bag or a zipper top plastic bag with the corner cut off, pipe the batter into the prepared doughnut pan (one layer of piped dough per doughnut). Bake for 9-11 minutes, until doughnuts are springy to the touch.
7. Begin dipping doughnuts as soon as they come out of the oven. Dip one doughnut at a time, dip the top of the doughnut into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool.
I enjoyed my doughnut with a large cup of milk!
