desserts

The Instant Pot: Crème Brûlée

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

 

IMG_6572.JPGWell, I wouldn’t normally make this, but the Instant Pot has me making all sorts of things I shouldn’t make. Stop being so easy, Instant Pot!!!

I took this recipe right from the book that comes with the pot. Why mess around with what’s obviously tried and true?

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbls. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • turbinado sugar for topping

Preparation:

  1. Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and pour two cups of water in below.
  2. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl, add sugar and whisk well.
  3. Add cream and vanilla and whisk just until combined, do not whip!!
  4. Pour the mixture through a strainer. Instant Pot suggests you pour it into a container with a spout in order to transfer the mixture to the ramekins. I just strained it right into the ramekins.
  5. Cover ramekins tightly with tin foil and place in the pot.
  6. Place lid on pot and set to 10 minutes on manual.
  7. Use the natural release method once it’s done.
  8. Remove ramekins from pot and allow to cool, uncovered for 30 – 45 minutes on your counter.
  9. Wrap ramekins in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 3 – 4 hours.
  10. Remove plastic wrap, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and either use a torch or place ramekins under your broiler for 5 minutes to caramelize.

IMG_6571.JPG

 

The Instant Pot: Chocolate Lava Cake

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

IMG_6496

This is a glorious cake. And, it can be cooked in nine, yes, NINE, minutes in the instant pot.

Do this.

I stole this recipe directly from this nurse’s cooking blog.  It does not need tweaking. Thank you, cooking nurse.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs Vanilla
  • 6 tbs flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

  1. Place chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.
  2. Mix well
  3. Mix in powdered sugar
  4. Add 3 eggs and the yolk
  5. Add vanilla and flour. Stir well.
  6. Butter your ramekins or 6oz pyrex bowls, and pour batter into each bowl.
  7. Place your trivet in your instant pot with one cup of water.
  8. Place your bowls on the trivet. (I used larger ramekins so only had to make 2)
  9. Close the instant pot and set to 9 minutes on manual.
  10. When it’s done, use the quick release method and eat!
  11. I am not going to put the ice cream and magic shell in my version of this recipe because I don’t want anyone having a heart attack. But if you’re feeling very decadent, a topping of vanilla ice cream would certainly go very nicely with this. The rest of it and you’re just asking for trouble.

IMG_6499.JPG

Plum and Blueberry Torte

~ tracyshar ~ 2 Comments

My CSA has been loading us down with plums for the last 4 weeks. I’ve been eating a lot of them — they are delicious — but I finally succumbed to the NY Times CONSTANT posting of Marian Burros’ Plum Torte recipe. It is delicious and easy. You should totally make it with whatever you have at home, you pretty much can’t go wrong. I still have a bunch of leftover blueberries from my trip to Maine so I threw a bunch of those in, too.

img_4962

Ingredients:

  • ¾ to 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 12 halves pitted purple plums
  • 1 pint blueberries (or omit and double the plums)
  • Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

Preparation:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
  3. Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
  4. Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

Blueberry Cream Pie, Two Ways

~ tracyshar ~ 1 Comment

IMG_4574.JPG

My stepmother recently had a birthday, and she loves pie. Almost every year I make her some sort of pie and bring it to whatever restaurant we’re dining in and make them serve it for dessert.

This year I thought I’d experiment and try and make up a pie, and see how it turned out. I burnt the first crust, so it turned into 2 pies. And since I thought I could do better, it became 2 different pies. 🙂

They are both really yummy. And, pretty damn simple, too. They are the same, except for one simple step. So, I’ll list one recipe with a variation.

Ingredients:

  • 12 full graham crackers
  • 5 tbls. butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 pints of blueberries
  • 1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 eggs

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine graham crackers, butter, and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until well combined.
  3. Pour mixture into a pie pan and press in place with your hands.
  4. Pop into oven and bake for about 10 minutes…be sure to keep an eye on it cause every oven is different, and as you can see, I burnt my first crust. (it was still delicious).
  5. Set aside to cool.
  6. FOR THE PURPLE PIE: combine one pint of blueberries with the can of sweetened condensed milk in a blender and pulse until well combined. FOR THE NON-PURPLE PIE, SKIP THIS STEP AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP
  7. Pour (condensed milk and blueberries) into a pot and place over a medium flame.
  8. Add the eggs and bring to a low boil.
  9. Add remaining blueberries.
  10. Pour into the crust.
  11. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  12. Eat.FullSizeRender 16.jpgIMG_4535