This is cake without an occasion. I made it for no reason whatsoever. This isn’t like me. I like to bake but I rarely bake without a purpose. I’m not really a dessert person, I’m far more of a salty snack person. So when I whip up a dessert, I better have mouths at the ready to help me eat it. But this Chocolate Plum Cake with Mulled Wine Caramel is a rare exception. I dreamed it, I wanted it, and I made it. There are so few things in my life that I have actual control over, so it’s nice to be able to conceive of something and bring it to fruition in a more or less fuss-free fashion. And it’s a chocolate cake. Dessert lover or not, I think we can all agree a chocolate cake is worthy of a celebration.
Banana Split Pavlova Terrine with Toasted Meringue
I may have gone beyond the pale with this one. If you’ve visited this blog before, you know I love a good hybrid dessert. The recipe for these S’mores Alfajores is just one of many examples. But today’s Banana Split Pavlova Terrine borrows from 4 separate dishes. It’s one part Baked Alaska, one part ice cream terrine, one part pavlova, and of course, one part banana split. It is however entirely nuts. But hopefully, it comes across as nuts in a good way. This is a layered dessert, so it has many moving parts and it does require a little patience. I say this not to intimidate you because each step is actually fairly simple, but I would encourage you to start this dessert at least 3 days before you need it.
Peanut Butter Bombes with Potato Chip Sable Cookies
I think it’s safe to say these Peanut Butter Bombes are not good for you in any traditional sense. They aren’t keto or paleo or refined sugar-free. What they are, though, is the taste of joy. A pure and utter indulgence that makes you tingle from toes to nose…that might also be the sugar. There’s no way to tell. I made these with my father in mind. Peanut butter is pretty much his life’s blood at this point and he’s also an ardent fan of caramel and potato chips. So naturally, I turned his favorites into a bombe because a bombe is pretty much three desserts in one. And I will break each layer down in detail and you’ll see these bombes are nothing to fear.
Cannoli Arancini with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Consider this my New Years’ offering and my final post of 2020. And what better way to bid adieu to one of the crappiest, strangest years on record than with a Frankenstein of a dessert. These Cannoli Arancini are not the classiest things to grace a dessert table. But they are so good – achingly good. And yeah, no one asked for a weird hybrid of cannoli and arancini. But I like to think I filled a void the world didn’t know it had. Call it a public service or an affront to Italian cuisine. It all depends on your perspective…or taste level, I suppose. But if you’re down with unholy snack cross-overs, these Cannoli Arancini are for you.