Three of the Simplest Desserts Ever

I do love to get into complicated recipes, and I do it often. I love unraveling the slew of ingredients in some recipes. I love the complexity of flavors these ingredients produce. I love to experiment.

But sometimes?

I just love something really simple. Delicious, yes. But simple. And guess what? I have three such recipes; ones I return to again and again, for their simplicity and their simple, amazing goodness. 

Ginger Bars

Guess what else?

I love dessert. I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas. Honestly. Even when I am trying to lose weight, I just neeeeed something to top off dinner. Something sweet. I can manage most of the day just fine. But then I just want something to do homage to that sweet tooth. Not necessarily to fill it (that takes some doing), but at least to assuage it. Sometimes I can manage with an apple, but not usually.

So, taking into consideration my neeeed for something sweet, plus my sometimes love of making something simple, I have three dessert recipes that I want to share. Two are in the form of a "bar." One is a sort of coffee cake, and very unusual. 

Quesadilla

This last mentioned is a cheese coffeecake that comes from Guatemala, and the name of the recipe is "quesadilla." Pronounced: keh-sah-DEE-ya. You may be wondering what I am talking about, when in the U.S we know "quesadillas" generally as a couple of large tortillas with melty cheese sandwiched inside, and sometimes other ingredients too. There are similar things like that in Guatemala, but they usually call them "dobladas," which means "folded(s)." The tortilla is folded in half with cheese inside, then grilled to melt the cheese. 

This recipe is a coffee cake and it's terrific with a good cup of coffee for sure. It is great no matter when. And it has just 6 ingredients. And, it is inherently gluten free!

The ingredients in this recipe lean heavily to cheese, and the fact that it is made with rice flour means it is gluten free. These days, it is really easy to find rice flour in the stores, what with so many gluten intolerant people, or people who think eating desserts made with gluten free flours is somehow better for you, when as a matter of fact, gluten free flours are far higher in carbs and calories. Oh well. 

But, this recipe calls for rice flour, so when I first wanted to make it in the U.S., it was very hard finding rice flour at all. And then to make it worse, the kind of cheese used in Guatemala for this cake just doesn't exist - not in any store I have found - in the U.S. One that does come close, and is now mostly available all over, is Cotija cheese. It has the right consistency to shred easily. Surprisingly, Parmesan cheese - not the kind from the green containers - but freshly shredded, also works well. It is a bit more salty, but freshly grated Parmesan cheese is available in most stores these days, also. You may note that there is no salt in the recipe. Do not add salt! The cheese has plenty all by itself.

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

The remainder of the ingredients are mundane, found anywhere. And without further ado, here is a recipe for this lovely, simple, moist and delicious coffee cake that needs no adornment whatsoever..

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

Makes one 8 x 8-inch coffeecake

1 cup rice flour
2 cups shredded crumbly cheese (Queso Fresco, Cotija, Parmesan)
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
¾ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, cheese and sugar with the baking soda and whisk to combine well. This also coats and separates the cheese shreds. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs with the heavy cream. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened well.
Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, or grease with butter or shortening. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool before slicing.

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Jim

The next simple recipe is one that came about in collaboration with my brother Jim, now long since gone from us. Back in the early '80s, I'd recently returned to the U.S. after living in Guatemala for 12 years. I was getting acquainted with my brother (just a child when I left the U.S.), and he would often come to my house of an evening and we played games like Cribbage or Monopoly and others. We would chat and laugh and play old music, discuss books we'd read and just have fun. And sometimes, as it started to get late, we would suddenly get the "hongries." Sometimes I would whip up a batch of chili. Sometimes I whipped up a dessert. Sometimes we kibitzed back and forth on what should or should not go into a recipe or discuss the method of making something.

Ginger Bars

So it was that this recipe, originally clipped out of the Orlando Sentinel, became what it is that I make today. We looked at the recipe together. We both had ideas of what else would be good in the recipe. And we realized that essentially, the recipe is one big batch of streusel, flavored to please and patted into the pan to bake. And oh boy, did we ever love streusel! Realize that in order to make this fit your own taste, all that is needed is to change, omit or add to the amounts of the spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves) or the nuts and coconut. What could be simpler? The fact that the list of ingredients is longer is just because we do love our spices! The streusel itself is nothing more than flour, sugar and butter!

Ginger Bars

Ginger Bars

Makes one 8 x 8-inch pan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup ground nuts
½ cup coconut
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Using hands or a pastry cutter, combine with the butter, mixing well, as for streusel, till well blended and crumbly. Press dough evenly but gently into a 9-inch square pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or till lightly golden. Cut cake in narrow rectangles while still warm.

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Last, but certainly not least of these simple recipes is nothing more than a shortbread, made thicker into a bar shape. It is completely simple in ingredients, but oh - my - goodness! There is nothing so delicious!

Simple Shortbread

Shortbread or Shortcake?

While this recipe is called "shortbread," according to Wikipedia, true shortbread is made with oats, in the Scottish way. It is mentioned that other kinds of recipe are short "cake," but in looking up shortcake, all I see is strawberry shortcake. Ah well. It will remain "shortbread."

The ingredients are just five, all easily on hand at any given time. Flour, cornstarch, confectioner's sugar, salt, butter. Period. It is nearly incredible to believe the amount of flavor in these dreamy tasting bars, and all from such basic ingredients. Not even vanilla is added and yet these are so smooth and inviting. They take no time to mix up and just 40 minutes to bake - and you don't even have to grease the pan! What could be more simple?

Simple Shortbread

Simple Shortbread

Makes one 9 x 9-inch or 7 x 11-inch pan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cornstarch and salt into a medium sized bowl and set aside (or whisk the dry ingredients to blend). In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, gradually work the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined (a pastry cutter works great, here, also); it will be all crumbly textured. Press dough gently into an ungreased, shallow 11 x 7-inch or 9-inch square pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until golden. Cut into about 12 squares or bars while still warm. Enjoy warm, cold or any which way!




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

An Amended and Amazing Breakfast.

Back in November I wrote about a breakfast that I had eaten at a small restaurant (Tweets) out in the greater Seattle area. The breakfast was called Poblano Relleno, etc., and it was just the most amazing combination of flavors, presented in such a lovely and engaging manner. In November I tried making it. It was delicious, but not without its pitfalls. (Read about that here.)

Since that time, I have made a couple of other breakfast casseroles, in the same little Pyrex 2-serving sized loaf pan. I've learned a few things along the way. Chief among these things is that covering the casserole during baking makes the baking time decrease, and also the egg puffs beautifully. That first attempt in November was the first time I had ever made a breakfast egg casserole of any kind. 

Poblano Relleno Breakfast Casserole II

Another idea that came up while making these other casseroles (without the Poblano pepper in the middle) is that adding shredded cheese to the egg that goes atop the Poblano might just help the egg keep the Poblano down, just above the potatoes in the bottom, instead of floating to the top as it did in my first attempt. At Tweets, the Poblano was just perfectly set above the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole, while the top half of the eggs was set nice and high above. In my first attempt in November, I had not added any cheese to the eggs that went over top of the Poblano pepper, and both the potatoes and the Poblano layer just floated up to the surface.

A few years back I had bought some pretty silicone lids by Charles Viancin, in a kitchen store (Amazon carries them, thus the link. i have no affiliation with Amazon or any remuneration for selling them). My first couple were "lily pad" shaped, and then I got a couple of banana leaf types. I love these, either for covering a plate while reheating in the microwave, or while baking things in the oven. I use the larger rectangle banana leaf shape to cover my scalloped potatoes while they bake, and I found that the medium sized lily pad lid covers this little Pyrex loaf pan. And the best part of all is that since the silicone is flexible, it expands as the eggs expand. I haven't tried this with anything else as a cover, since it works so perfectly. And since the eggs tend to puff way up, I would be hesitant to use something like aluminum foil. Just below is a photo of one of my other breakfast casseroles, just baked, with the Lily Pad lid removed.

Bacon and Egg Casserole

At this point in time, I have become quite proficient at making these breakfast casseroles, and they are turning out great every time. I tried making this recipe in two wells of a jumbo muffin tin, and while they came out well, perfectly cooked, I just didn't like it. Why? Because I do not like any brown on my eggs. I cannot tolerate the flavor of browned egg. When I make this casserole in the small loaf pan, once removed from the pan, I trim all the edges so they are perfectly straight, thereby removing any browned sides. In the muffin tin, being round, I did no trimming, and all those browned sides just totally ruined the flavor, for me. 

I realize that while I am not unique in this particular dislike, there are also plenty of people who absolutely prefer their eggs browned, or even slightly burnt. If this is the case, go for the jumbo muffin tins, as they came out great, aside from this one flaw (for me 😀).

Ultimately, here below I am showing a photo of my scrumptious breakfast at Tweets, then my first attempt at recreating this casserole at home, and then my second attempt, recently, where finally I got it just as I wanted it. The cheese was added to the second half of the eggs, and pouring this over the Poblano kept enough bulk in the eggs to hold down the potato and Poblano. Just like at Tweets. Hurray!

Tweets breakfast                 -                 my first attempt                 -                my second attempt

Poblano Relleno Breakfast Casserole II

Serves 2
 

Poblano Relleno Breakfast Casserole II

MAKE AHEAD (one day, at least):
1 Poblano Pepper, blistered, peeled
2 cups black beans (cooked ahead or use one can, divided between plates)

CASSEROLE:
1 medium potato, quartered, sliced thinly
- oil for frying
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt for potatoes
6 eggs, whisked to combine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or any preferred shredded cheese)

ASSEMBLE GARNISHES:
1 small "salad" portion, per plate (red cabbage, salad greens, arugula, etc)
2 - 4 small cherry tomatoes, or whatever colorful garnish is available
- sour cream, thinned if needed
- scallion greens, sliced or chopped
- cilantro leaves, optional
- Feta Cheese or Queso Fresco (1-ounce per plate)

Fry the potatoes in enough oil so they do not stick, and sprinkle with the ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt. Toss them frequently, until they are nicely browned, crisp and cooked through.

Spray a small loaf pan (4 x 6-inch) with cooking spray. Press the potatoes into the bottom of the casserole. Whisk the fresh thyme leaves and the ½ teaspoon salt into the eggs. Pour half the egg mixture over the potatoes and rap the pan various times to get the egg to penetrate the potatoes. Allow to set for a few minutes, while this occurs. Cut the peeled Poblano in half lengthwise, then set the halves over top of the potatoes so they cover the whole surface. Add the half cup Cheddar cheese to the remaining eggs and pour this over top of the Poblano pepper. Spray a silicone "lid" as explained above and set it over top of the casserole. Alternately, spray a piece of foil and set the sprayed side down over the casserole, but do not crimp it into place. Bake the casserole in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. Check after 35 minutes, as all ovens are different. 

While the casserole is baking, assemble all the garnish ingredients. Heat the black beans, whether homemade or canned. When the casserole is done, give it a few minutes to set, then run a knife around the edges and remove the casserole from the pan. With a very sharp knife, trim the outer edges straight and cut the casserole in half. Place about 1 cup of black beans into each of two large bowls. Set a slice of the casserole on top of the beans in each plate. Place a portion of salad or slaw on top of the casserole, then "scribble" some sour cream artfully over the whole plate. Set the tomato slices around the casserole, crumble on the cheese and strew with scallion greens and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Decadent and Delicious Mac and Cheese

I like mac n cheese. I always have. My husband, though he loves macaroni salads, never seemed to care for mac n cheese, though tastes change. He told me recently he liked mac n cheese just fine! Over the years, as I became more conscious of additives in pre-packaged foods that can affect health, I began weeding out the use of anything that came in a box, and most canned veggies. I still use canned tomato sauces, tomatoes, tomato paste, corn and most beans. I usually buy things that are either sodium free or 50% sodium where possible. Among the casualties to a more conscious lifestyle was mac n cheese in a box. Not that I ever used it extensively, but once in a while it was just easy.

For all those reasons, and likely a few more, I haven't had mac n cheese for many, many years. Since my husband gave me the OK on the concept, it has been in my mind. Last evening I decided to take the plunge. Mac 'n' cheese is not inherently healthy, even when homemade. The more unctuously cheesy, the more the fat and calorie content rise. But, at least I know what is in it when I make my own, and there are none of those extras; dyes, preservatives and such.

Decadent Mac and Cheese, with Crumb Topping

Cheeses of Choice

I was watching a program on TV a few nights back where someone was touting the richness of a mac n cheese made with cream cheese and Parmesan. That just struck me as a delightful combination. How much, though? I didn't want to go so far over the top. I ended up using about 1½ ounces of Parmesan and 4 ounces of cream cheese. Then I realized I still had a little bit of shredded cheese in the fridge, from the Taco Pizza I made a few days ago. It was a "Mexican Blend" of 4 cheeses, only one of which was a yellow cheese. There wasn't all that much left. I threw it in. At this point the cheesy mixture was mostly white.

Going for the Gold

Turmeric Powder

Depending on the kind of cheese you use, the color of mac 'n' cheese can be completely white or nice, bright yellow. The nice bright yellow in boxed products often comes from food dyes. I prefer something more natural. While I used a little bit of yellow cheese, I also added a little turmeric for color. Turmeric is a very healthy spice. It has some flavor, but it has an amazingly yellow color. It is very easy to include a little in the diet, here and there. The yellow color in a dish that has "cheese" in the very title, just makes the food look more enticing. 

Richness and Flavor

I like flavor in my foods, so I also used caramelized onions, garlic and thyme. I added nutmeg and a little chipotle powder. As far as the macaroni, I used an 8-ounce box of Ancient Harvest Quinoa Elbow Macaroni. It is gluten free. It isn't something I had to use, but I really like the flavor of that pasta and have bought it often for that reason alone. If it came in more shapes, it might be the only macaroni product I would buy. I did use quinoa spaghetti a few times, though it is far more breakable in the long, thin strands; not as ideal. Still, even that would be completely acceptable if being gluten free was a must. 

To Bake? 

Decadent Mac and Cheese, Baked with Crumb Topping

It is not remotely necessary to bake this dish. It is all properly cooked once the macaroni is stirred in. It will all depend on the kind of presentation you want to make. I decided on a pretty presentation and poured it into a casserole. Topping it with Panko crumbs seemed a no-brainer for a crispy top. I was casting about in my head for flavors to spice up the Panko. I could have just mixed in a little melted butter and/or oil to help with the browning. Last minute, I did an about-face, thinking of the pesto in my fridge. If you have never used pesto, it is generally a basil product with garlic and oil at its most basic. Cheese and pine nuts are often added, and I even add a little butter to make it a more spreadable (i.e. less drippy) mixture. Pesto would be an excellent way to flavor the crumbs, plus making a pretty green contrast with the golden-sauced macaroni. If making this for a quick family supper, just serve it as is and forget the crumbs and baking.

Decadent Mac and Cheese

Decadent Mac and Cheese alongside a steak

Serves 6 to 8

8 ounces elbow macaroni
6 - 8 ounces bacon, fried, crumbled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, quartered, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 - 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
½ to 1 teaspoon of salt, as needed
a few grinds of fresh pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ - ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
4 ounces cream cheese (low fat acceptable)
1 - 1½ ounces (⅓ - ½ cup) shredded Parmesan (not the green cans)
½ - ¾ cup shredded cheese; chedder, jack, a blend, other

CRUMB TOPPING - optional:
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 - 3 teaspoons Pesto
2 teaspoons olive oil

In a skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a large, heavy sauce or soup pot (at least 4 to 6 quart), melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and the tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add in the onions and keep heat over low to medium low and slowly saute the onions, stirring often, until deep golden, about 30 minutes. 

While the onions are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain and rinse; set aside.

Once onions are deep golden, add in the garlic and thyme and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Make the bechamel sauce by sprinkling the flour over the onions and stirring until all the flour is incorporated. Add in the milk. Turn the heat up to medium, and whisk until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, about 5 - 10 minutes. Add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, turmeric and chipotle powder. Toss in all the cheeses and allow them time to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, add the drained macaroni and the crumbled bacon. Stir well. The macaroni and cheese is now ready to serve.

IF USING TOPPING:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; 325 if on Convection. Set the Panko in a bowl. Add in the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the pesto. With fingers, rub in the oil and pesto until well distributed and the crumbs are nicely green. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a greased, oven safe casserole, either 9 x 9-inches or7 x 11-inches. Pour in the macaroni mixture and sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and the macaroni is bubbling. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.