"treats" news and stories

I have always been a fan of cottage cheese. It is a staple in my family, purchased along side the eggs, milk and Trader Joe's Honey Whole Wheat bread for all the years when I was growing up. These days there's always a tub of it to be found in my fridge, as it is the perfect protein addition to breakfast, lunch or dinner (applesauce and cottage cheese is heaven in a bowl). However, it has never occurred to me to alter its curdy state and use it as the primary ingredient in ice cream. Thankfully, there are many creative thinkers in this world and Jessica at Su Good Eats is one of them. She has pureed cottage cheese and used it to make ice cream. The results look pretty darn good and when you couple that with my love of cottage cheese, I think that this is one I'm going to have to try out.

There are some combinations of food that just taste good together. Cheese and crackers. Peanut butter and celery. Tuna salad and mashed potatoes. What? You mean not every family ate those two items together? It is actually quite delicious (and fun to mold). Another classic combination is donuts and coffee. Over at the Cupcake Bakeshop, Cheryl has reimagined that traditional pairing by turning it into a cupcake (topped by a small, homemade donut). She is one of those bloggers who's food photography makes me drool every so slightly each time she puts up a new post.

Photo link

Mendiants are small disks of chocolate that are studded with dried or candied fruits and nuts. Traditionally, they are part of the Christmas celebration in France, where the fruits and nuts on top of the chocolates were chosen to represent "the four mendicant monastic orders and the color of their robes." The original toppings were raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnuts for the Augustins, dried figs for the Franciscans and almonds for the Carmelites. Now, chocolatiers are just as likely to get creative with the toppings for these bite-sized treats as they are with any other confection.

You can always buy a batch that is already made, but making mendiants is a simple process. Start by assembling a selection of toppings, such as cacao nibs, nuts (pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts), dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, cherries, candied orange peel) and anything else that pairs well with chocolate, like small chunks of butter cookies or fleur de sel , as recommended by Clotilde. Melt some good quality chocolate and drop spoonfuls of it onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper to make circles. Place a small assortment of toppings on each disc and set aside to harden. Peel off when ready to serve.

Everyone appreciates a homemade goodie - even people who are on a diet, though they may curse you under their breath as they sneak a taste - and there is really no better way to show your appreciation for someone than with a plate of fresh cookies. Except maybe a car. Or a pony.... but I digress.

Sweet Gratitude: Delicious Ways to Bake a Thank-You For the Really Important People in Your Life is a book that is chock full of recipes for those delicious treats, along with tips on how to ship and store them. Most of the recipes are easy and virtually fool-proof, thanks to the expert instruction from author Judith Sutton. For a sneak peek - or sneak taste - try the Orange Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramel-Topped Turtle Brownies, the recipe that supposedly motivated Sutton to write the book in the first place. There are elegant desserts and simpler ones, but all will be well received by your family, your coworkers and even your mailman. And if worse comes to worst, you can always bake something and then thank yourself for a job well done.

Source

Crazy About Cupcakes is a brand new book in the cupcake genre, just released this week. The author, Krystina Castella, says that she views cupcakes as a sort of art form, delicious and beautiful. They can be fun, decadent, kid-friendly or oh-so-grownup, but the book is guaranteed to have more than a few that will suit your tastes from its more than 300 total ideas. There is even a section on Healthy Cupcakes for those who want to have their cake and eat it guilt-free.

In keeping with the cupcakes-as-art mentality, the book has beautiful illustrations and lots of templates to help you along. There are also notes on how to best store and transport cupcakes

We haven't had a chance to try any of the recipes ourselves, but we're intrigued by the sound of these cupcakes, which are clearly more adult than some of the retro-chic versions we've seen. Look here for a sample of Champagne cupcakes with champagne butter cream icing.

Source