Passion Fruit Pavlova
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
This passion fruit pavlova is creamy, tart, and light. It's also incredibly easy to make! All you need is some egg whites and sugar to make a meringue, some whipped cream and fruit! It's that easy!
I made a lemon whipped cream and then topped it with fresh passion fruit and strawberries. Makes it perfect for summer because it's not a heavy dessert for a hot day.
Change it up!
I know that passion fruit isn't easy to find, but what's great about pavlova is that you can use whatever kind of fruit you'd like. Top it with blueberries, raspberries, pineapple or even kiwi. Literally you can add whatever your favorite fruit is on top of a pavlova.
Edible printing
Want to learn how to get images onto cookies and even cakes and chocolates? Then check out my new online edible printing course that will guide you through everything you need to know about edible printing, from start to finish! You won't regret it! Not too sure if you want to buy something so pricey if you aren't sure you'd like it? Ten you can certainly check out my array of edible paper images you buy and try out before making such a huge purchase. You can even buy these images here in my shop!
Products I recommend
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. One I highly suggest is the silpat. This is a great tool to have in your kitchen! It may be on the expensive side but it's a reusable alternative to parchment paper and is worth the investment.
passion fruit pavlova
light and airy pavlova topped with lemon whipped cream and fresh passion fruit and strawberries
pavlova
- 5 egg whites (room temp)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
lemon whipped cream
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 passion fruit (pulp scraped out)
- 1/2 cup strawberries (quartered)
pavlova
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preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy and then add the cream of tartar. continue whipping on high until soft peaks start to form and then gradually add in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue is nice and glossy. add in the cornstarch. put the meringue onto the sheet pan and form into a mound. turn the heat down to 235 degrees F and bake for 2 hours. turn the heat off and leave in the oven for 20 minutes. open the oven door slightly and let cool for an additional 2 hours or over night.
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I made 2 pavlova shells by splitting the meringue in half and baking them on separate sheet pans and adding one sugar sheet on one of them before baking. but you can make one large pavlova instead if you'd like.
lemon whipped cream
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add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. whip until stiff peaks form and spread on top of your baked pavlova. top with fresh fruit.
Birthday Cake Ice Cream Sandwich
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
Birthday cake ice cream sandwiches. May I need say more? I think not. These ice cream sandwiches are so good by the way. The ice cream is a basic vanilla base with some birthday cake extract mixed in. But what makes it fun, is the swirls of pink buttercream in it and the French macaron cookies holding it all together.
The buttercream gives it that actual birthday cake feel and adds in a little texture and flavor. While the French macaron cookies gives it more of a fancy twist, with the chewy yet delicate cookie, it makes this ice cream sandwich complete. Go here to get the French macaron recipe!
Change it up!
Not wanting to go all fancy with the French macarons? Don't worry about it, those little cookies may be delicious but they can be a handful to make with the outcome being 50/50 success.
Instead use whatever cookie you'd like! Make some sugar coated sugar cookies and use those! Or just go to the grocery store and get those addicting soft frosted cookies in the bakery and use those instead of swirling buttercream in the actual ice cream. Makes it a little easier for the busy folk! I won't judge either, because now I'm tempted to do that myself!
Products I recommend
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. I highly suggest the ice cream maker that I listed above. It's cheaper than others and it does it's job just like the other's. It's also easy to clean and super easy to use!
birthday cake ice cream
a sweet treat for those who love birthday cake!
- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp birthday cake flavor (i used amoretti brand)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup buttercream (optional)
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place the heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, birthday cake extract, and vanilla into a pot and mix together. put over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. remove from the heat and cover with cling wrap and place the ice cream base into the fridge overnight to cool and to let the flavor increase.
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following the manufacturer's instructions of your ice cream machine, turn the base for 20-25 minutes. place the ice cream into a freezer safe container. swirl with the buttercream and top with sprinkles and freeze overnight to firm up.
assembly
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take your choice of cookies and take a scoop of the birthday cake ice cream and place on top. add another cookie and freeze until ready to serve.
Strawberry Tiramisu
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
This is by far not your traditional tiramisu. Its tart, sweet, and perfect for this seasons strawberry pickings. Strawberry tiramisu is a perfectly light dessert for this summer. And it's also incredibly easy to make too! It's so easy you can make it within 20 minutes! It's also super easy to switch it up and make it your own too!
Change it up!
There are lots of ways to make tiramisu unique and fun! This strawberry tiramisu is delicious, but you can always replace the fruit with something else if you'd like. You can even change the soaking liquid for the lady fingers too! Instead of using bailey's you can use:
Vodka! Grab a flavored vodka that will pair up well with the fruit or filling you've chosen. Like white chocolate or lemon!
Rum chata! Did you know that they make a lemon rum chata? That would be delicious with the strawberries or even blueberries!
Malibu rum! This would be an interesting one to soak the lady fingers in if you are wanting something tropical. If you are in an area that has mango's or passion fruit that would go perfect with this!
Products I recommend
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. If you can't find lady fingers in your local grocery store, than I suggest getting these from amazon. Most grocery stores back home in North Dakota don't have any of the fancy grocery items, like these lady fingers, so amazon is typically the way to go when I'm home.
strawberry tiramisu
this tiramisu is filled with bailey's soaked lady fingers, mascarpone, and fresh tart strawberries.
- lady finger cookies
- strawberries (sliced)
mascarpone mousse
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
Soak
- 1/2 cup bailey's
- 1/2 cup milk
mascarpone mousse
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place all of the ingredients, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream, into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start on low speed, to incorporate all of the ingredients, and gradually increase and whip to stiff peaks. set aside.
soak
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combine the bailey's (or alcohol of choice) and the milk into a bowl. set aside.
assembly
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place 4 glasses or a small casserole dish onto your work space.
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start by soaking the lady finger cookies in the bailey's soak until saturated. make sure not to soak to long for the cookies to completely disintegrate.
if you are using individual glasses, it's easier if you cut the lady fingers in half before soaking so that they fit in the glass easily.
place the soaked lady finger cookies onto the bottom of your glasses or dish.
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take a piping bag (or ziplock baggie) and fill with the mascarpone mousse. fill your glasses with a small layer of the mousse.
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top with strawberry slices.
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repeat these steps 2 more times for layering the tiramisu, ending with mousse on top and a whole strawberry. (reference the photos in the post for layering)
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refrigerate until serving.
Apricot Almond Tart
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.This apricot almond tart is luscious and creamy. It's filled with an almond frangipane and freshly picked apricots that have been cut in half that's topped with a fluffy meringue topping that is lightly torched to perfection. This tart is perfect for a late summer dessert. It's incredibly simple to make too! It may require a few steps to get the end result but it's worth it! You of course have to start off with a crust, so these guys are made with a shortbread crust. Then come the best part; the almond frangipane! This filling is a go to of mine because it's soft and full of flavor! And it's so easy to pair it with so many different things, like fruit or even chocolate! These tarts obviously have fresh apricot halves in them, which is perfect as a late summer/early fall treat when apricots are at their highest peak in season. And finally, you top these little tarts with a mound of fluffy meringue on top that you toast to perfection. so why not enjoy yourself one of these apricot almond tart this year?
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Here are a list of the main tools you will need to make these apricot almond tarts. You will need some tart pans, of course, as well as a torch. Above are some amazon links to a few options that i recommend.
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apricot almond tart
a shortbread crust filled with a frangipane filling and a fresh apricot that is topped with a mound of toasted meringue
crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
almond cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 whole apricots (pitted and cut in half)
meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch cream of tartar
crust
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for the crust, mix all of the flour, sugar and butter together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. press into 4 mini tart pans or 1 large pan.
almond cream
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preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. add in the egg and extracts and continue mixing. mix in the almond flour and flour until everything comes together. portion evenly into the unbaked tart shells. place the apricot halves into the center of the tarts. bake for 20-25 minutes or until the almond cream is set. let cool.
meringue
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in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy and then add the cream of tartar. continue whipping on high until soft peaks start to form and then gradually add in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue is nice and glossy. swirl or pipe on top of the apricot tarts and torch the meringue until golden brown.
Pumpkin Mousse Dessert
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.This pumpkin is no ordinary pumpkin. It's a pumpkin mousse dessert! A chocolate pumpkin that's filled with a creamy deliciousness that will have you replacing the old basic pumpkin pie this year.It's a pumpkin chocolate shell that's filled with a creamy pumpkin mousse with little drops of chocolate ganache and sweetened cream cheese. This dessert is pure heaven in every way for a family event this fall. If you can't find the 3D pumpkin mold, than use a different mold. I'm sure there is a 3D turkey that would be so cute for Thanksgiving!In this dessert I added in some extras as mix-ins. I made a quick chocolate ganache and just cut up a few mini chunks of cream cheese. Now you don't have to use these exact mix-ins I used. You can use chocolate chips, pecans, caramel pieces, and even some ginger cookie chunks too! Make it yours!
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Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. Essentials for making this dessert is the pumpkin mold and the coating chocolate. If you use regular chocolate you won't get that color to make it look like a pumpkin and could bloom.
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pumpkin mousse dessert
an adorable pumpkin chocolate shell that's filled with pumpkin mousse, chocolate ganache, and cream cheese.
chocolate shell
- pumpkin mold
- orange candy melts
- brown candy melts
pumpkin mousse
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp gelatin
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
fillings
- ganache, cream cheese, chocolate chips, nuts, caramel pieces, etc...
chocolate shell
- start by taking the orange candy melts and melting it. fill the pumpkin part of the mold and let it sit for about a minute. invert the molds to let the chocolate fall out to create the chocolate shell. scrape down the sides to create that even edge. take the brown chocolate and melt that and fill in the stem part of the pumpkin. i found it easier to have that as a solid part and not inverting the mold to let the chocolate drip out. let the chocolate set. i find it easier to put it into the freezer to pop the chocolate shells out.
pumpkin mousse
- bloom the gelatin in the 1 tbsp of water and set aside. in a bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. meanwhile, bring the milk, vanilla and salt to a simmer. once hot, slowly temper into the yolk mixture. do this by pouring a little amount of the hot milk into the yolks and whisking together. keep doing this until all of the milk is added to the yolks. place the mixture over a double boiler and heat until it reaches 140 degrees F. and then stir in the bloomed gelatin. place the mixture into a bowl and wrap with cling wrap and put in the fridge overnight, or until firm.
- whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. add in the firm and chilled pumpkin mixture and whip until fully incorporated. place into the fridge until ready to use.
assembly
- start by taking both parts of the chocolate shell and add in a thin layer of the pumpkin mousse. sprinkle in some of the fillings you have chosen and continue to layer each component.
- don't overfill the chocolate shells, you want to be able to seal it without having any of the mousse exploding out of the sides.
- melt a little of the orange candy melts that you have leftover and pipe a thin line along the edges of the chocolate shell. carefully take both parts and carefully put them together to get the 3D pumpkin.
- use a little bit of green fondant to create the vines and leaves for the pumpkin and glue on with a little more of the orange chocolate.
- keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Boosey Ghost Cream Puffs
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.These are an adult only kind of treat. A fun little halloween treat that is filled with alcohol and chocolate that is so delicious and rich in flavor. Plus it's super cute! Now these guys are only for adults. I'm sure if you were to make these and you have kids around that they won't be too happy about that. So if you want to make it kid friendly, just use coffee instead of kahlua. I know it will still be a bit too adult still with coffee but it won't have alcohol in it. On the plus side, if your kids don't like coffee than that means more for you! Or you can just find a different pastry cream recipe.Each cream puff is filled with a chocolate kahlua pastry cream, more strong on the kahlua part too. They are dipped in white chocolate and a scared little face painted on each one. These will be a hit at any halloween party this october! I also discovered that the cream puffs made it look like the ghosts had little arms too, so I added in a little piece of candy corn or whatever you can think of, for them to hold on to!
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. An important part I find that helps a lot when making cream puffs is to have the filling pipping tip. It's so handy, especially with these little ghosts. These cream puffs have a few layers on the inside that you have to poke through; that's what makes the filling tip work so well with these little ghosts.
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boosey ghost cream puff
a cute cream puff that is filled with a Kahlua pastry cream and dipped in white chocolate.
pate a choux
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
pastry cream
- 1/2 cup kahlua
- 1 1/3 cup milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate
assembly
- white chocolate coating
- black food coloring
pate a choux
- preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. in a small pot, combine the milk, sugar, salt and butter. heat up on medium high heat until the butter is melted and fully incorporated into the milk. once the milk is hot, add in the flour and mix until a dough forms and a film starts to appear on the bottom of the pot. place the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for about 2 minutes to let the steam out. slowly start to add the eggs and mix until completely incorporated. put the dough into a piping bag with a medium sized round tip. on a sheet pan lined with parchment, start piping out little ghosts. i did that by thinking of a snowman, starting big on the bottom and adding another smaller mound on top with a nice peak for the ghost's head. bake for 20-25 minutes until nice and golden brown. the tips will be darker, if you don't want the darker or don't care for the ghost shape, then just dab a little bit of water on your finger and pat the tips down gently.
pastry cream
- in a bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. place the kahlua and milk into a small pot and bring to a simmer. once at a simmer, slowly add in a little of the milk a tablespoon at a time to the yolk mixture, mixing at the same time. add back into the pot and whisk continuously until thick. remove from the heat and add in the chocolate and butter and continue mixing until everything is fully combined. place plastic wrap directly over the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming and put into the fridge to chill.
assembly
- start by putting the filling tip into a piping bag and then adding in the chocolate pastry cream filling. fill in each cream puff, making sure that it fills the whole thing by using the filling tip and starting from the very top of the cream puff and slowly dragging it down and out to ensure it's completely full.
- once each cream puff is full, place into the freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to dip in the chocolate. while the cream puffs are chilling, start melting the chocolate. dip each cream puff into the chocolate and let the excess drip off. when the chocolate is completely set, use the black food coloring to make the eyes and mouth.
Strawberry Rhubarb Deep Dish Pie
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
To be honest, i'm not a fan of pie. I don't like to make it and i'm not very big into eating it either. That is until I had tried the hand pies at a place I worked at. The dough was crisp and sweet and the filling was amazing. I had to make these hand pies about once a week, and since I was the only one who made them. So of course, I ended up memorizing the recipe for the pie dough. Since I had it memorized by making it so much, I of course had to make myself a strawberry rhubarb pie!
I won't lie. I ate all four of these pies. And I do not feel guilty about it whatsoever.
The best pie dough.
What makes this pie dough so good is the little bit of sugar in the dough and the heavy cream and extra sugar sprinkled on top right before baking. It gives it a great crunch to the crust which just elevates the whole thing to a new level. Not to mention that strawberry rhubarb is my new favorite kind of pie to treat myself to.
Now pie is super easy to make and very versatile. You can make this into whatever flavor you want. Use your favorite fruit. Or just use the crust and make it into a pecan or pumpkin pie instead. It doesn't need to be fancy. But make sure you use this crust recipe. You can thank me later.
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Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. My absolute favorite is the BlueQ oven mitts. I have a collection of them and I love them! They are great quality and it’s nice to have a kitchen item with a sense of humor.
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strawberry rhubarb pie
Four individual deep dish pies filled with a sweet and tart strawberry rhubarb filling
crust
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp ice cold water
- heavy cream (for topping)
- granulated sugar (for topping)
filling
- 2 cup strawberries (quartered)
- 1 1/2 cup rhubarb (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- juice of half a lemon
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
crust
- preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt and mix to combine. add in the cold butter and mix on low until the butter is broken down to pea size. once the butter is mixed in, add in the apple cider vinegar and cold water and mix until fully combined. divide the dough into 8 equal portions. roll 4 of the portions out and mold into your ramekins. take the remaining 4 portions of dough, roll out and cut into strips for a lattice topper of your pies. add in the filling into the ramekins and then top with the lattice toppers. trim the excess dough off of the sides. brush heavy cream on top of the dough and sprinkle with sugar. bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling starts to bubble and the crust is slightly golden.
filling
- in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. place the strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and vanilla into another bowl and toss together. add the dry ingredients into the fruit and toss to coat.
Meringue with Lemon Curd & Berries
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
This was the Easter dessert that was made a couple weeks ago. I've been MIA the past couple months; both being super busy and just really not in the mood to bake anything at all. Well, I have finally found my mojo back and have been baking up a storm the past few weeks.
This meringue with lemon curd and berries dessert is really light and simple. It contains a good sized meringue cookie that is topped with a sweet lemon curd that is so smooth, and topped with any kind of berries or fruit that you enjoy eating!
Change it up!
You can change it up too! Not a fan of lemon? Use lime or orange juice instead and give it a different flavor profile. If you would rather make a orange (grapefruit, or even blood orange) curd, then I recommend segmenting a bunch of oranges, grapefruit, clementines and adding some strawberries in too. That would give it a refreshing flavor profile.
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Products I recommend for making this dessert.
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. My absolute favorite is the BlueQ oven mitts. I have a collection of them and I love them! They are great quality and it’s nice to have a kitchen item with a sense of humor.
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meringue with lemon curd & berries
cute little individual meringues topped with a tart lemon curd and macerated berries
meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- pinch cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- food color (optional)
lemon curd
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
berries
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
meringue
- preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy and then add the cream of tartar. continue whipping on high until soft peaks start to form and then gradually add in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue is nice and glossy. add in the vanilla and food coloring if desired. put the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. pipe large rounds of the meringue, about 3 inches in diameter. bake for 2 hours and let cool.
lemon curd
- in a small pot, combine the lemon juice and zest, egg yolks, egg, and sugar and whisk constantly over medium heat. make sure to continuously whisk to prevent the eggs from curdling. continue whisking until it starts to thicken. remove from the heat and add in the butter. strain through a fine mesh sieve and place cling wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. place in the fridge until cool.
berries
- put all of the ingredients into a small pot and bring to a boil. let boil until the syrup reduces by half and starts to thicken. once cool, pour over the berries and gently toss to coat.
Cookie Dough Mousse
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Cookies for Santa mousse dessert.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
This is really the cutest most delicious thing that I've made in awhile. I found this adorable Santa chocolate mold on amazon and knew that I could have a little fun with it for a dessert. What's better than cookie dough and mousse for this??? It's definitely a project but the end result will have everyone asking you how in the world you made it.
I found the fun part to be to crack Santa open and then eating the mousse. It was still a little frozen when I tried it, but it tasted just like ice cream to me. With the cookie dough pieces in there, it was just like ice cream which makes it so good.
Change it up
For the mix-ins, I used chocolate chip cookie dough from the grocery store and some mini chocolate chips. I made a list down below of other fun options that you can use instead. Nuts or some candy bars would be great too!
Can't find the Santa mold or don't want to use it? No worries! You don't have to use a mold if you don't want to. You can easily just put the mousse into a container and serve it in a bowl if you want. The Santa shape is just for fun and a cute appeal for the holidays that both kids and adults alike will find super cute and fun.
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cookie dough mousse
a santa chocolate shell that is filled with a creamy vanilla mousse that is mixed with cookie dough pieces and mini chocolate chips
mousse
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp powdered gelatin
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
mix-in options
- cookie dough
- mini chocolate chips
- chocolate candies
- sprinkles
- brownie pieces
- cake pieces
- nuts
mousse
- bloom the gelatin in the 1 tbsp of water and set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil. once hot, slowly temper into the whipped yolks. do this by pouring a little amount of the hot milk into the yolks and whisking together. keep doing this until all of the milk is added to the yolks. place the mixture over a double boiler and heat until it reaches 140 degrees F. stir in the bloomed gelatin and vanilla. place the mixture into a bowl and wrap with cling wrap and put in the fridge overnight, or until firm.
- whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. add in the firm and chilled mixture and whip until fully incorporated. place into the fridge until ready to use.
assembly
- i find it easier to melt the chocolate in the piping bags instead of in bowls. melt the chocolate as you need it and as you go.
- you will pipe a small amount, one part of the mold at a time, and then use the paintbrush to spread the chocolate.
- start by painting the white parts first in the molds, which includes the face, hair, beard, and white cuffs of the jacket, gloves, and hat.
- let set, you can speed this process up by putting the mold into the freezer for a minute or two. you will do this between each color so they don't spread and mix together.
- melt a little bit of yellow and fill in the buckle of the belt.
- the next color you will want to do is the black, which includes the boots, gloves, and belt.
- lastly, fill in the red, which includes the pants, jacket and hat.
- spread a thick layer on both sides of the mold to fill in any thin spots to prevent the chocolate from breaking. you want the mold to be sturdy to hold the mousse and to prevent leakage or breaking.
- carefully glue both sides of the chocolate molds together to make it 3D and to bring santa to life :)
- to fill santa, i found it easier to put him back into the mold and then use chip clips or clothes pins to hold it together. this part might be a 2 person job if it seems a bit scary to you, or you can do what i did and just prop the mold up carefully between some heavy objects to keep it sturdy.
- using a spoon or scoop, fill with a little of the mousse and then sprinkle in the mix-ins. keep doing this process until the mold is completely full.
- to seal the bottom of the mold, either carefully pipe some candy melts on top and let set or make a small candy plaque to glue to the bottom with more chocolate.
- if you notice any leaks coming through the sides of the molds (which i did!) i just placed the whole thing carefully into the freezer until it was completely solid and then carefully fill in the gaps with some chocolate.
- i kept santa in the freezer until i was ready to serve him, and took him out for about 30 minutes beforehand. (he might get a little sticky on the surface, but it's fine)
- crack open with a small hammer, spoon, or whatever you have on hand.
Lemon Baked Alaska
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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.
Since it's June and it's so freaking hot out I thought it would be a great idea to make something tangy, creamy, and cold: lemon baked Alaska.
This baked Alaska starts off with a pound cake base (that I may have bought from the store). On top of the base is a lovely dome of lemon ice cream that is stuffed with a light cream cheese mousse to help balance off all of the tang from the lemon. And to top it all off, a beautifully toasted meringue. It is so good, it reminds me of a orange creamsicle, but lemon flavored! I suggest making this dessert for a summer night barbecue that your family can enjoy on a hot night.
Toasting the Meringue
Now when it comes to toasting the meringue, don't do what I did. Please don't. I read that you can use a broiler to brown it if you don't have a torch (which I do have, but didn't feel like hunting down a propane canister all over Minneapolis just to use it). J figured "oh, I have a broiler in my oven! I'll use that instead." Well instead of getting a beautiful golden brown all over the baked Alaska, it only slightly burned the top.
Stupid. Annoying. Piece. Of. Crap.
So please use a torch! Or if you have a different method, then let me know in the comments! I'm always looking to learn new techniques from others.
Products I recommend.
Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. I highly recommend starting off with the cuisinart ice cream machine as your first ice cream maker. It's the cheapest one on amazon and I personally use it and love it! I also suggest getting a reusable ice cream container as well, it's dishwasher safe and you can use it over and over again!
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lemon baked alaska
a simple pound cake topped with a dome of tart lemon ice cream with a cream cheese filling and toasted meringue
cake
- 6 inch (round pound cake (i bought mine from the store. you can always make your own favorite pound cake recipe too!))
filling
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
ice cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/3 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (split)
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks
meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
filling
- in a small bowl with a hand-held mixer, whip the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth. add in the heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. place the mousse into a silicone mold or a small bowl with plastic wrap and place into the freezer until solid.
ice cream
-
place the half and half, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, pinch of salt, and 1 cup of the granulated sugar into a pot and bring to a boil. in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. once the milk mixture is at a boil, slowly pour into the egg yolks whisking at the same time to prevent the eggs to scramble. strain the base through a fine mesh sieve and place into the fridge over night. turn the ice cream base following the instructions of your ice cream machine. put 3/4 of the ice cream into a cereal size bowl lined with plastic wrap or tinfoil, place the small dome of frozen cream cheese mousse into the center, and then place the rest of the lemon ice cream on top and smooth out with a spatula. freeze overnight until solid.
meringue
- place the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start on low speed and slowly sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites. once all of the sugar is added, increase the speed to high and let whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
assembly
- place the pound cake on serving platter. carefully un-mold the ice cream and place on top of the cake. if you haven't made the meringue yet, place the cake and ice cream into the freezer and make the meringue. once the meringue is made, pipe of frost it onto the ice cream and down to cover the cake so nothing is exposed. using your torch, lightly brown the meringue. serve right away.