ISO: ISO Dessert ideas for pasta sauce tasting event...

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mariadnoca

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Ok, event might be too strong a word. It's at my SIL's next weekend. All I know is I think there will be 5-6isn contestant/friends who will be making a meat sauce and there will be a blind tasting/prize for the winner.

She will be providing pasta and a salad. Others non-sauce makers will bring an appetizer and I will bring dessert. I'm sorta thinking of this being like a spaghetti feed, which to me is a kinda heavy meal.

Any dessert ideas?

(A friend said, why don't you make cannoli? Like that's the most simplest thing in the world! I have no idea how to make them or where/how to get/make the shells.)

 
I love her recipes and have always had great success with them. Her book is one of my favorites.

 
I'd like something lemony. These frozen souffles are great.

I have made them in individual ramekins but these days, I'd probably line a loaf pan with parchment, slice and serve. You could do a quick berry coulis with it too.


Frozen Souffle
by Sue McCown, head pastry chef
Earth & Ocean, W Hotel, Seattle, WA

Yeild: 6 servings

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup water
2/3 cup juice (lemon, lime, cranberry, mango,
passionfruit, o.j.)
3 eggs
1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and
gelatin; add water and juice. Over medium heat, cook
and stir until slightly thickened. Cool. Chill until
partially set, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but
not dry (wet and shiny); fold into chilled juice
mixture.

In another small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff
peaks form; fold into juice mixture.

Tape or tie 3" waxed paper or foil "collar" securely
around rim of ramekins. Pour mixture into dish.
Freeze 6 hours or overnight.*

Remove "collar". Garnish with whipped cream.

 
FYI, I'm not married to the cannoli idea...in fact, bad cannoli is just sad...

I'm sure those of you who grew up around Italian bakeries (and Italians) know what I mean, we get pretty serious about our cannoli, which was why when my friend who suggested it garnered a reaction from me akin to...are you kidding? Plus, I will be serving this to Sicilians.

"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

smileys/smile.gif

However, something that pairs well with Italian might be nice. Also, if it's not non-dairy, I will have to make some secondary item for some family members who are allergic, so thoughts on that too would be helpful.

 
Oh! - and I do have a whole tree of meyers at my disposal, but doubt I have the freezer space ...

Don't have a final count yet, but guessing at least 20. My fridge has a drawer freezer, which really has limited me when it comes to things like this or things that need to lie flat without stuff piled on top. Didn't think about that when I bought this, but it's come back to haunt me many times. I use to put cake layers in right on the cooling rack, now, no can do.

 
I wasted at least two days of my life trying to make cannoli. Randi (raising a glass of wine to her)

told me to just think of it as frying noodle dough. That was an epiphany.

But I still don't think I'd want fried food stuffed with heavy cream/cheese after stuffing myself with pasta. I would like that lemony almond flourless cake...where you boil the lemons and add them, lock stock and barrel (well, except the seeds..you've got to get rid of the seeds).

Hold on....I'm gonna find it.

And it taste better the second day, so there's that!

 
Okay...here's the adapted "flourless almond lemon cake" recipe:

3 lemons
6 eggs, separated
1 C fine sugar
1.5 TBL baking powder
2 1/4 C almond meal
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Boil lemons for 1 hour. Cut in half (over the Vitamix blender to catch the juices), de-seed and toss everything else into the blender. Yes...skin, pulp, pith...all but the seeds. Add 1/2 C of the sugar and 6 egg YOLKS. Whip until utterly smooth.

Whisk baking powder into almond meal.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Beat at high speed and add remaining 1/2 C of sugar slowly. Beat for at least 5 minutes to dissolve.

Pour lemon mix over almond meal. Stir. Add a large scoop of the beaten whites to lighten the mixture and then fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour into buttered 9x9" pan. You can use a loaf pan, but the finished loaf will more than likely collapse, which in the big scheme of things, isn't that bad of a thing. So you choose.

Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes, depending on chosen pan and depth of batter.

I've attached the post where I used TWO boiled lemons plus ONE fresh lemon. That was really good too.

http://www.eatdotat.com/swap/forum1/209524_I_tried_this_last_night_with_a_few_extra_tweaks__Delicious_but_used_the_wrong

 
Hey, I noticed this fits your allergy issues (leave off the buttered pan and use something suitable)

Unless, of course, you'e dealing with the health-food store employee who told the person standing next to me: Yes, this is non-dairy. See, it doesn't have any eggs in it."

 
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