THE NIBBLE » Desserts & Ice Cream

TIP OF THE DAY: Sweet Oloroso Sherry

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:57:07 +0000

Sherry is a fortified wine from the Jerez region of Spain. It is produced almost exclusively from the Palomino Fino grape.

There are two basic types of Sherry—Fino and Oloroso. All other styles—Amontillado, Cream, Manzanilla, Moscatel, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximenez—are variations of these types.

From the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry region of Spain, a sweet Oloroso sherry can be the perfect dinner apéritif and multitask as the dessert wine afterwards. Oloroso is Spanish for “fragrant”; a good Oloroso will be intensely aromatic. The typical sweet, rich fig and nut flavors can complement a dessert or be savored on their own. Pair it with pecan pie; with honey, toffee or buttercrunch ice-cream; or for the cheese course, serve the sherry with blue cheese and figs. It’s a treat for the holidays or any time of year. Sherry should be served at room temperature.

See our favorite dessert and wine pairings.

Enjoy your sherry! Photo courtesy Ritzenhoff.

PRODUCT: Dessert Hummus? Delightful!

Editorial Assistant — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:08:04 +0000

America loves hummus, as can be seen by the proliferation of brands and flavors in the refrigerator case of almost every supermarket and deli. It’s nutritious, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.

But what about dessert hummus? Dessert from chickpeas? That breakthrough concept is now available, healthy and actually delicious! Flavors include:

Carmel Apple Dessert Hummus

Chocolate Mousse Dessert Hummus

Maple Walnut Dessert Hummus

Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus

Toasted Almond Dessert Hummus

Read our full review, including all the ways you can serve Dessert Hummus.

Stay tuned for our review of our favorite traditional hummus brands in the November issue of THE NIBBLE online magazine.

Find more of our favorite (and more traditional) desserts plus recipes in the Desserts Section of THE NIBBLE.

Serve a trio of Dessert Hummus flavors for
dessert. Above: Caramel Apple, Maple
Walnut and Pumpkin. Photo by Hannah
Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

TIP OF THE DAY: Balsamic Vinegar Dessert Sauce

Editorial Assistant — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:46:05 +0000

Your balsamic vinegar can multitask as a dessert sauce: Strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar have been a classic Italian dessert for centuries. To go a step further, add cracked pepper and whipped cream or vanilla or chocolate ice cream (fig ice cream is great if you can find it or make it). Another balsamic dessert: Reduce fig balsamic vinegar by boiling it with some red wine to half its volume; drizzle it on pound cake and top with whipped cream or ice cream with a macedoine of fruits or a fruit compote on the side. It’s also delicious on ripe cantaloupe. These desserts are classic, yet fresh and modern.

Learn about balsamic vinegar.

TIP OF THE DAY: Saucy Caramel

Nibble Editors — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:17:58 +0000

It’s National Caramel Month, not that we needed another excuse to dig in to this tasty tan treat. A jar of caramel sauce is an excellent companion for plain pound cake, brownies, pie, ice cream or as a dip for fresh fruit. Play “pastry chef” and drizzle microwaved caramel back and forth across the plate before adding the main dessert. Plain fruit becomes a deluxe fruit platter with caramel dipping sauce: A small warming dish with a tea candle keeps the caramel hot. For individual fruit plates, put the caramel in shot glasses, sake cups or espresso cups and warm the filled cups briefly in the microwave.

We prefer the deluxe caramel sauces from The King’s Cupboard (see our review). You can add chopped pecans and a teaspoon of rum or brandy to jazz up even average grocery store caramel sauce.

RECIPE: Cherries Jubilee

Nibble Editors — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:15:41 +0000

Chukar Cherries’ Cherry Jubilee topping.
Photo by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.

September 24 is National Cherries Jubilee Day. Cherries Jubilee is an easy flambéed dessert that is presented with much fanfare. A sauce is made of cooked, pitted cherries and cherry liqueur (Kirschwasser—brandy can be substituted), which is flambéed in a chafing dish and ladled over a dish of vanilla ice cream at the table. It’s great entertainment for guests, many of whom have never had flambéed food.

You can elaborate on the dish by serving the flaming sauce over an ice cream and angel food cake, pound cake or sponge cake, or over custard or puddings. (Cherries and chocolate are a delicious combination.)

Famed chef Auguste Escoffier created the dish for Queen Victoria, for either her Golden Jubilee celebration (in 1887, her 50th anniversary as queen) or her Diamond Jubilee (1897)—hence the name, Cherries Jubilee. You can “jubilee” other any cooked fruit using any 80-proof spirit.

Here’s a recipe for Cherries Jubilee.

1. Drain 1 can (16 ounces) of pitted bing cherries, reserving the juice.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch and add the juice, a little at a time.
3. Add 1/4 cup warmed Kirschwasser or brandy.
4. Ignite with a long kitchen match.
5. Scoop a serving in a ladle, let flame burn out. Ladle over premium vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6.

Option: Add 1/2 cup slivered almonds.

TIP: To keep the ice cream from melting, it helps to pre-scoop the balls and let keep them in the coldest area of the freezer. Bring the ice cream and the sauce to the table, ready to flame and pour immediately.

You can make your Cherries Jubilee even easier with a jar of Chukar Cherries’ Cherry Jubilee topping.

TIP OF THE DAY: Dessert Pu Pu Platter

Nibble Editors — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:42:43 +0000

Ordering a retro Pu Pu Platter, an assortment of Chinese restaurant appetizers, is fun—and sounds so much more interesting than “assorted appetizers.” The concept can be applied to dessert at your place. Instead of serving one big piece of cake or pie, provide 4 or 5 small tastes of assorted favorites: bites of lemon squares or brownies, mini tarts or flans, mousse or a smoothie in a shot glass, a bite-size key lime cookie, a piece of toffee. No one will pooh-pooh this dessert.

Find more ideas in the Dessert Section of TheNibble.com.

TIP OF THE DAY: Key Lime Delights

Nibble Editors — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:59:27 +0000

One of the most popular desserts, Key lime pie, is also one of the easiest to make. Fresh Key limes are ideal, but if not, Key lime juice is available in most supermarkets and specialty stores. The lime is named after the Florida Keys, which is why the word is capitalized.

Find recipes for Key lime pie, tarts, Key lime meringue pie and crustless pots de crème (which you can serve in martini glasses for extra panache). Key lime season runs June through August, so make pie while the sun shines!
Check out the different types of limes in our Lime Glossary.

TIP OF THE DAY: Drink Your Dessert

Nibble Editors — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:59:32 +0000

Some of the most refreshing desserts are the simplest. Put fresh fruit salad in a wine goblet and cover it with a fizzy Moscato d’Asti, a sweet sparkling wine from Italy (our favorite is La Spinetta from Rivetti, with an amazingly low alcohol level of around 6%, similar to beer). The sparkling wine elevates the fruit salad to elegance, and is the perfect ending to a light or heavy dinner. After guests finish the fruit, they can drink the remaining wine from the goblet: It’s a dessert and a dessert wine in one (though have an extra bottle on hand for guests who want more of this intensely fruity, exuberant wine). If you don’t drink alcohol, you can use Fizzy Lizzy Fuji Apple sparkling juice.

Read our review of Fizzy Lizzy, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
Take a look at our Wine and Dessert Pairings Chart.
Learn more about value wines for everyday and holidays in our Wine Section.

TIP OF THE DAY: Rice Pudding Perfection

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:59:21 +0000

August 9th is National Rice Pudding Day, and nobody does the creamy comfort food quite like Rice to Riches. It’s the only item sold at the shop in New York City’s SoHo, and they’ll ship overnight to anywhere in the U.S. The ever-changing menu features more than a dozen flavors daily. You might find “Fluent in French Toast,” “Honey Graham for Mr. Smith” and “Take Me to Tiramisu.” Rich, creamy and made from top ingredients, it’s no wonder that fans from every generation line up every day for their RPF (rice pudding fix). Surprise someone with a gift of rice pudding; surely, they’ve never gotten one before!

Read our review of Rice to Riches Rice Pudding.
Need a sugar-free rice pudding fix? Read our review of Kozy Shack. It’s not the same as Rice To Riches, but it works!

TIP OF THE DAY: Ice Cream Cupcakes

admin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:59:53 +0000

Instead of making an ice cream cake, try ice cream cupcakes—they’re even more fun! Use a cake mix and muffin pans to get a larger cupcake bottom. After baking and cooling, put the cupcakes in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm, before topping with ice cream. If your quart of ice cream is hard, soften in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir with a large spoon to get a malleable consistency. Put a scoop atop each cupcake and work with a spatula to achieve a frosting effect. (It’s good to have two people working here if you need to make a lot.) Top with a strawberry, raspberry, chocolate wafer, nonpareil, Junior Mint, halved mini PB cup or other tasty garnish. Freeze or serve immediately.

Read about our favorite gourmet cake mixes.
Take a look at the recipe for these adorable hamburger cupcakes.
Browse our favorite ice cream desserts.