We are only a couple of days away from bidding adieu to 2021 and from where I’m sitting, that is a very good thing. Sure, I had some good times this year but being the eternal optimist that I am, I’m inclined to believe the best is yet to come. And although I was decidedly wrong about 2020 and 2021. I live in hope that I will be right eventually. Even a broken watch, right? So in the spirit of carefully hoping for better things, I present you with this exuberant French 75 Panna Cotta for two complete with a candied kumquat halo. This is my final dish of 2021 and the closing sweet note of my brief but, I like to think, very romantic New Year’s at-home date menu.
Sufganiyot Croquembouche with Sour Cherry Cream
Every year, I pick a recipe that pushes me to my limits. Last year it was this Gingerbread Cake and this year it’s this Sufganiyot Croquembouche. I won’t sugar coat it (pun intended) this recipe isn’t a walk in the park. But I have to say if you’re looking for a confidence boost, dusting this beast with its final sprinkling of sugar does indeed make you feel like a boss. Make sure you clear your schedule if you decide to take this dessert on. Rushing through any step will likely end in disaster or result in caramel-related burns – speaking from experience. So now that I have intimidated you completely, let’s dig into this Sufganiyot Croquembouche.
Coconut Cream Pie – New Series Announcement
Today’s Coconut Cream Pie is the first installment in what I hope will be a long-running series we’re calling Overthinking Classics. Most of the recipes that appear on this blog strive to be different, which is great. But in my day-to-day life, my cravings tend to be rather pedestrian. I have a lot of love for classic dishes and I think about and cook them often. And every time my brain picks them up, I try to improve upon them. They never find their way here, though. I always think they aren’t interesting enough to be blog-worthy fare. But I hope this new series will give a home to all the pearls of wisdom I have accumulated about the dishes we know and love.
Lemon Meringue Puffs
Today’s Lemon Meringue Puffs have been percolating in my mind for a while. I had the idea of lending the classic pie flavor to the format of a cream puff for a year or more now. But I was always unsure of how they would look. Silly little questions, like whether to pipe or dollop the meringue? Or what to fill the puffs with – lemon curd or lemon pie filling? There were a few prototypes, the curd didn’t make the cut and a simple dunk was the surprisingly easy answer to the meringue question. There were a lot of pitfalls along the way, but these Lemon Meringue Puffs are everything I hoped they could be.