Sweet Testing: Mississippi Mud Pie (aka Coffee Ice Cream Tart)

Baked has done it again! I made this tart for my sister’s bday, and, like everything I make from Baked, it was a huge success! I really loved it and I don’t even like coffee or coffee-flavored things! I actually thought about switching out the coffee for vanilla, but, because this was for my sister, and not for me, I went ahead and used the coffee flavor. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think the ice cream had an overly strong coffee flavor (I used Trader Joe’s brand), and it didn’t offend my palate in the least! So, even though you could swap the coffee ice cream for some other flavor, I would give the coffee a chance. It might not be as bad as it sounds!

2) There were some ice crystals in my finished product. I think this was either from the ice cream melting and then freezing again or from the fact that I neglected to cover the tart at one point when it was in the freezer. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that you shouldn’t let the ice cream thaw too much and be sure to follow the directions and cover it while it’s in the freezer!

But, despite the tiny bit of ice crystal crunchiness, everyone really loved this tart. I’m sure your friends and family will too! You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

The Mixing Bowl: Tiramisu by Zara Picken

I love learning interesting tidbits about food, like why there isn’t flour in flourless chocolate cake or how and when chocolate and peanut butter first hooked up, so when illustrator Zara Picken sent me her recipe for Tiramisu, along with an explanation of the dessert's name, I was instantly smitten.

From Zara: I wanted to evoke the colours of the dessert and the meaning –"tira mi su" loosely means “pick me up” or “lift me up” in Italian and the dessert was intended as a cheering dish to be eaten when feeling low. I also referenced the Italian origin of the dessert by imagining the illustration in the context of a 1930s Italian Art Deco poster, the sort you might see in a café.

Pretty neat, huh? I love that Zara put so much thought behind her recipe/illustration!

Zara Picken is an illustrator based in Bristol, England whose work combines mid-century modern design, muted colors, and surreal elements to create something totally unique. Given the fact that Zara is influenced by things like the writing of Haruki Murakami and the film Inception (both of which I love), it's not really surprising that I've developed a fairly major crush on her work. I'm especially fond of her series of people with electronic devices instead of heads. Those may be my favorite pieces. You can check out more of Zara's marvelous work, including the electronic head people via her Etsy shop, Web site, and Flickr page.

You can find the tiramisu recipe and more pics after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Chocolate Coffee Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

I’ve always wanted to make a drippy cake. (I know that’s not the technical term. Is there a technical term?) For some time now, I’ve been obsessed with cakes that feature dark, chocolaty drips down their sides, so when I saw this cake in the new Baked cookbook, I knew that I had to try it! I’ll admit it. I was a little intimated. I am no Martha Stewart when it comes to presentation, but I think it turned out really well! And it was delicious, too! Seriously yum! It was definitely worth the effort. If you’re not a fan of coffee flavored sweets, have no fear. The coffee flavor is really subtle . . . and I hate coffee.

You can find the complete recipe for the Chocolate Coffee Cake after the jump.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

photo by Esme McClear

Last week my sister sent me an e-mail that said this:

I just ate an amazing cake my friend Jenny made.

Honestly, I'm always skeptical when people tell me about a cake that they really liked. People get excited about cake. I get excited about cake (mmmm…cake). Cakes have so much potential, but, really, most of the time I just end-up being disappointed by them. More often than not, for me, cake does not live up to its hype. So, when I finally got my hands on a piece of this so-called amazing cake, I wasn’t expecting much. I took a bite before I ate dinner, just to try it, and then I took another taste, and another, and then proceeded to eat the whole thing! It was really good. It's a very tasty chocolate cake and, like I said, I'm a bit of a cake snob! It does have a very slight coffee taste, but you don't notice it after the first bite. I hate the taste of coffee and I was pretty much licking the plate!

The recipe originally came from the Ina Garten's book Barefoot Contessa at Home, but Jenny found it on pete bakes. You can view the complete recipe on Pete's Web site by clicking here. Pete's version is a bit different, so it's fun to view his pics as well!

Jenny made some slight changes to the recipe, which you can find below. Thanks to Esme for taking the beautiful picture!

• For the cocoa powder, I used half hot chocolate and cocoa powder.
  
• I added hazelnuts, toasted them, crushed them, mixed them with sugar and cinnamon, and then pressed the mess to the sides.
  
• I used canola oil instead of veg oil, but I don't think that would make a difference.

Ice Cream Sandwich Makers Ride Their Bikes, Too

I know that the holiday season is now upon us and the last thing you're probably thinking about in the dead of winter, while you're freezing your bum off, is ice cream, but I'm so excited about Ruby Jewel's ice cream sandwiches that I couldn't wait until spring to write about them! Not only am I impressed by their mouth-watering flavors like cinnamon chocolate with espresso, lemon with honey lavender, and, the seasonal treat, ginger cookie with pumpkin, but also with company's environmental philosophy. Lisa Herlinger, Ruby Jewel's founder, started selling her sandwiches at the Portland Farmer's Market, and has continued to support her community as the company has grown. The sandwiches are made from fresh, local, and natural ingredients, even when it's not cost effective, and, if you don't believe them, they even list their vendors on their Web site. In addition, they make every effort to limit waste, and actually reward their employees for riding their bikes to work!

If you live on the west side of the country, you can click here to find a store near you. The rest of the country can order online via their Web site. If you're torn between which flavor to order, Ruby Jewel has a variety-pack option, so you can sample each and every one!

Gift Guide: Sugar, Cream, Tea, & Coffee

Vintage Syralite creamer or small pitcher ($12)

Early Bird Sugar & Creamer ($14/each) at Anthropologie

Vintage Pixieware Sugar & Creamer, available on Ebay

notNeutral - Ribbon Set ($64)



Black Birds Tea Set ($77) by Bailey Doesn't Bark