It's dessert poll time again...

[Julie in CA]

Which of these lovely desserts would you pick?

 

Flourless chocolate cake: rich, velvety flourless chocolate cake, robed with a layer of chocolate ganache.

 

Creme Brulee

 

Warm Pear Spice Cake topped with candied walnuts, served with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzle.

 

Coconut cheesecake

 

Lemon Cream Puff: served in a dish of mixed berry sauce and sprinkled with a touch of confectioner's sugar.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Torte: Chocolate cookie crust, layered with fudgy ganache, peanut butter cup chunks, and creamy peanut butter filling.

 

p.s. It may take a moment for me to get the poll up...

[BikeBookBread]

Oh, how I love creme brulee!!!! I'm making it for Easter, and I plan on putting one little jelly bean in the center of each cup :) (after the torching of course!).

 

I love chocolate, and would've chosen the flourless chocolate cake any other day. However, if your home is like ours on Easter, there will be SO MUCH chocolate around that a break from the chocolate might be nice...

[ocelotmom]

I don't suppose "All of them" is an option?

[aggieamy]

Will you deliver to my office? Like right now? They all sound fantastic but the creme brulee would be the winner for me. Although, a taste-test really would be the best way for me to decide. :001_smile:

[Julie in CA]

if your home is like ours on Easter, there will be SO MUCH chocolate around that a break from the chocolate might be nice...

Actually, we don't celebrate Easter with chocolate/candy. :svengo: Weird, I know. :D

 

These are desserts I'm contemplating for the restaurant menu, and it's amazingly helpful to me to post polls here about a variety of dessert options. I get a pretty good idea about what people would actually like the most, and can plan the dessert menu accordingly. I should pay you people for your opinions! :tongue_smilie:

 

p.s. Most of the time I don't have a really personal opinion one way or the other about most of the desserts (I don't really eat them beyond a taste during recipe development). This time though, y'all just don't know how *heartbreakingly good* those lemon cream puffs are!! :drool5::cheers2:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Chocolate cake, *and* I want the recipe please...

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Well, I'd *always* go for creme brulee or flourless chocolate cake, but that pear dessert sounds devine!! The only one I wouldn't eat is the coconut one, 'cause I don't do coconut. I wouldn't usually order chocolate peanut butter stuff, but would eat it (and enjoy it) if served to me. The lemon berry dessert also sounds wonderful, and would be a lovely spring/easter dessert.

[Laurie4b]

Which of these lovely desserts would you pick?

 

Flourless chocolate cake: rich, velvety flourless chocolate cake, robed with a layer of chocolate ganache.

 

Creme Brulee

 

Warm Pear Spice Cake topped with candied walnuts, served with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzle.

 

Coconut cheesecake

 

Lemon Cream Puff: served in a dish of mixed berry sauce and sprinkled with a touch of confectioner's sugar.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Torte: Chocolate cookie crust, layered with fudgy ganache, peanut butter cup chunks, and creamy peanut butter filling.

 

p.s. It may take a moment for me to get the poll up...

 

Can you post the calorie count for each please? :auto:

[Julie in CA]

Chocolate cake, *and* I want the recipe please...

I'm always glad to share recipes. :001_smile:

For the Flourless Chocolate Cake you must have a stand mixer though. If that's not a problem, here's the recipe. Oh, and btw, if any of the Food Revolution folks are here, you might want to tune out of this post for a minute. This recipe is about as far away from healthy as ever a recipe could be. ;)

 

Place a broiler pan of water on the lower oven rack.

Preheat oven to 400* F.

 

Prepare a 9" springform pan by lining with parchment and spraying with cooking spray.

 

In the microwave, melt & stir together: 20 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, 10 oz. unsalted butter, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1.5 teaspoons Kahlua.

 

In a metal/glass mixer bowl set over a pan of gently boiling water, whisk 6 eggs until they are warm to the touch. Do not stop whisking while the pan is on the heat.

 

As soon as the eggs are warm, remove from heat and mix with whisk on stand mixer at high speed until eggs triple in volume. This may take appx. 5 minutes depending on the power of your mixer.

 

Remove bowl from mixer and fold chocolate into eggs, taking care to to mix minimally and avoid deflating your eggs. Some tiny streaks of unmixed egg may remain.

 

Immediately and quickly pour the batter into your prepared pan.

 

Bake for 19 minutes exactly, then remove pan from oven to cool. Top should look dry, but the cake will still be very jiggly. Cool completely, then chill overnight.

 

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cream and whisk together.

 

Run a hot knife around the cake, and remove cake from pan.

Flip the cake over, peel off the parchment, and flip cake back over onto serving platter. The cake will be pretty solid, so I can usually do the flipping with my hands. Pour the melted chocolate over the cake, spreading and pushing with the back of a spoon just until it starts to drizzle over the sides.

 

Chill briefly to set the chocolate. To make neat slices, cut with a knife that's been run under hot water. This is very rich, and a tiny slice goes a long way. You can easily get 14-18 servings from one cake. :cheers2:

 

ETA: This cake freezes really well. If you slice it and separate the slices a little bit before you freeze it, you'll be able to pull out just the amount of slices you want at any given time and save the rest for later. It will also hold for quite a long time in your fridge without any loss in quality.

Edited March 31, 2010 by Julie in CA

[Nestof3]

I chose the flourless cake.

 

Is this the one with garbanzo beans? (No, I see mine is different. I've listed it below.) The last time, I made it for her birthday. I served it with optional sides including a chocolate ganache, raspberries and vanilla ice cream.

 

It was AMAZING! The cake is so easy and can all be made in a food processor. Recipe makes one round 8 or 9 inch cake.

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garbanzo-Bean-Chocolate-Cake-Gluten-Free/Detail.aspx?prop31=3

 

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

Chocolate Ganache

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Ganache-Icing/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

 

I substituted the brandy for vanilla extract and brandy flavoring b/c I couldn't make it to the liquor store. I also used regular cream instead of heavy whipping cream.

Edited March 30, 2010 by nestof3

[Julie in CA]

Can you post the calorie count for each please? :auto:

I can't...you'd go into cardiac arrest from reading it...;)

These are restaurant-size servings, and I always encourage people to share. Most of the time people do. I can't personally eat more than a bite or two of any of these. Most of them are around 500 calories for a huge serving. :leaving:

[LaissezFaire]

Pear cake sounds divine! Flourless chocolate cake always sounds good to me but I never end up liking it.

[Julie in CA]

I chose the flourless cake.

 

Is this the one with garbanzo beans? (No, I see mine is different. I've listed it below.) The last time, I made it for her birthday. I served it with optional sides including a chocolate ganache, raspberries and vanilla ice cream.

 

It was AMAZING! The cake is so easy and can all be made in a food processor. Recipe makes one round 8 or 9 inch cake.

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garbanzo-Bean-Chocolate-Cake-Gluten-Free/Detail.aspx?prop31=3

 

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

• 4 eggs

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Chocolate Ganache

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Ganache-Icing/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

 

I substituted the brandy for vanilla extract and brandy flavoring b/c I couldn't make it to the liquor store. I also used regular cream instead of heavy whipping cream.

This would definitely be a much *much* healthier version than the one I make. Sounds good!

[Nestof3]

This would definitely be a much *much* healthier version than the one I make. Sounds good!

 

Julie, it is amazing and so easy. It's a little crumbly, but it tastes just as great. I use dark chocolate morsels. :001_smile:

[chickenpatty]

I think the name "flourless chocolate cake" threw me off. It makes me picture a boring little slab of cake-like brownie sitting on the plate. Your description of it definitely makes me think otherwise.

 

I chose the pear cake because I liked the idea of ice cream, walnuts & caramel. I like textures. However, I think I would enjoy the flavor of the chocolate cake better.

 

Furthermore, lol, I think I could eat and enjoy any of the choices if I really had to. :D

[cjzimmer1]

Well if the flourless chocolate cake is the same one that you shared the recipe for last year, then without a doubt that would be my first pick. I'm only allowing myself to make it once a year for my birthday because I can seriously eat the whole thing in a couple of days. It is so good. I shared some with my sister last time and she too thought it was the best cake ever.

 

But if that wasn't a choice I would pick the peanut butter chocolate because I would like that too.

[SonshineLearner]

I am stabbing the screen, but I'm unable to get a bite..... it's really unkind of you to post about all your yummy desserts, without me being able to taste them. I'd actually like a sampler plate of all of them!!

[mommaduck]

I chose the pear cake, etc, because is just sounds right for spring. However, it was a toss up with the coconut cheesecake. Cheesecake is just too "normal" though...but I LOVE coconut!

[Julie in CA]

I chose the pear cake, etc, because is just sounds right for spring. However, it was a toss up with the coconut cheesecake. Cheesecake is just too "normal" though...but I LOVE coconut!

The Coconut Cheesecake is very good too. If you're the type who'd give it a try, I'll pass along the recipe. It's a pretty easy one so far as cheesecakes go.

[BikeBookBread]

I'm always glad to share recipes. :001_smile:

 

Thanks for sharing :)

 

I just saved it. Our 14th anniversary is coming up in a few weeks, and DH has been asking me to find a chocolatey recipe like this one for a while now.

 

Have you ever tried making this with REALLY dark chocolate, like 77% cacao or higher???

[milovany]

I'm someone who can't NOT choose rich, gooey chocolate when it's one of the options. I bet the pear one is delicious too. I'm not that into creme brulee or coconut. Love lemon but chocolate wins out. Chocolate. wins. out.

[mommaduck]

The Coconut Cheesecake is very good too. If you're the type who'd give it a try, I'll pass along the recipe. It's a pretty easy one so far as cheesecakes go.

Yes, please! Could you send along the pear cake recipe also, please?

[mommaduck]

I am stabbing the screen, but I'm unable to get a bite..... it's really unkind of you to post about all your yummy desserts, without me being able to taste them. I'd actually like a sampler plate of all of them!!

:lol::lol::lol: I know! She knows how to start the cravings!

[peachskittles]

It seems I'm an oddball, but I chose the coconut cheesecake...Coconut and cheesecake, together? Oh that just sounds so good...Honestly, I'll take any of them right now though...

 

The Coconut Cheesecake is very good too. If you're the type who'd give it a try, I'll pass along the recipe. It's a pretty easy one so far as cheesecakes go.

 

I would love this recipe. :D

[kitten18]

It was hard for me to choose between the chocolate cake and the pear cake. I chose the pear cake (would love the recipe).

 

In a restaurant, I would be likely to get the pear cake because I would be sharing with DH and he doesn't like large amounts of chocolate.

 

I love cheesecake and I love coconut but for some reason, the idea of them together doesn't excite me. I tend to like caramel/chocolate types of cheesecake.

 

Years and years ago, Macaroni Grill had a Caramel Apple Custard that was AMAZING. I have not had it in at least 12 years but I remember it vividly.:tongue_smilie: Just thought I would throw that out there as another idea.

[justamouse]

It totally depends on what's for dinner?

[littlebug42]

They all sound incredible but I chose the "heartbreakingly good" lemon cream puffs. In a restaurant, the chocolate would probably be my last choice as I prefer the lighter, fruitier desserts especially after a meal although the pear cake and coconut cheesecake were VERY tempting.

[fivetails]

I chose the flourless cake.

 

Is this the one with garbanzo beans? (No, I see mine is different. I've listed it below.) The last time, I made it for her birthday. I served it with optional sides including a chocolate ganache, raspberries and vanilla ice cream.

 

It was AMAZING! The cake is so easy and can all be made in a food processor. Recipe makes one round 8 or 9 inch cake.

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garbanzo-Bean-Chocolate-Cake-Gluten-Free/Detail.aspx?prop31=3

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

Chocolate Ganache

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Ganache-Icing/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

 

I substituted the brandy for vanilla extract and brandy flavoring b/c I couldn't make it to the liquor store. I also used regular cream instead of heavy whipping cream.

 

Chickpeas in a chocolate cake?!? Now I've seen everything! :lol:

 

[i love chickpeas - but I would never have thought they could go in a cake!]

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Chickpeas in a chocolate cake?!? Now I've seen everything! :lol:

 

[i love chickpeas - but I would never have thought they could go in a cake!]

 

Yeah and it's not good news for us. I never thought of looking for chickpeas in cakes either. Yet DS is allergic to chickpeas. We don't usually list it as an allergen when we order dessert. We'll have to now.

[Night Elf]

I will always choose a peanut butter & chocolate combination before any other dessert. Absolutely without a doubt. Period. :)

[Denise in IN]

I think you forgot an option for "all of the above"! :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm someone who can't NOT choose rich, gooey chocolate when it's one of the options.

 

This is me, so I'll cast my vote in the poll for the flourless chocolate cake. But if I was to venture outside of chocolate (and I do occasionally!), I would love the Lemon Cream Puff. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Torte sounds wonderful as well.

 

My husband would choose the Pear Cake or Lemon Cream Puff.

 

Thanks for sharing the Chocolate Cake recipe! I would be so thrilled if you'd be willing to share the recipes for all of the rest. And I would make them! I love to make desserts, and yours always sound fabulous.

[bugs]

CO-CO-NUT!!! :drool5: YUMMM! (that's my choice).

 

I bet you're not surprised that the "chocolate" anything is coming up on top. Most people who post here are women after all.

[Imprimis]

I had a hard time choosing between the flourless chocolate cake and the warm pear cake.....went with the chocolate cake because, well, it has CHOCOLATE! ;).....I would love to have the pear cake recipe, however!

[Brindee]

I chose the warm pear cake, cuz it's different, something I couldn't get at home or somewhere else as easily as some of the others.

 

I very much dislike coconut, so that'd be a no-go for me....always!

 

My second choice would be the peanutbutter chocolate torte. Yum!

[JFSinIL]

I, too, will go pear simply because I would never otherwise get to try it, and it sounds lovely! Otherwise I'd creme brulee, which I would not make at home.

 

 

Chocolate is ubiquitous so I'd skip it.

 

Coconut cheesecake - sound wrong. Cheesecake should be creamy. I can't wrap my mind around this. But then I am one of the coconut HATERS!!!!

 

PS _ I just asked hubby who wandered by to choose, and he is also a pear (but he won't show up on your poll).

[Ellyndria]

I chose the pear cake, because it sounds different, although I'm always up for creme brulee. I might be interested in trying the lemon cream puff too.

[Tam101]

Come on people! Lemon!!! :lol:

[HollyDay]

Could I have the warm pear cake recipe??? That sounds SOOOOOOO GOOOOD

[Julie in CA]

I went out to do the monthly shopping, and came back to more recipe requests. I'll be glad to share more of the recipes, as long as no one gives me a hard time about how decadently unhealthy they are. I feel like I need to reiterate--I don't eat them! (I just make them).

 

Tonight though, I've just blown $600 on monthly groceries, and it tired me out, both physically, and mentally. :svengo:

 

I'll post recipes tomorrow morning, so don't forget to check back then. :001_smile:

 

p.s. I'm unbelievably surprised! This is the first time that any dessert has come close to beating chocolate in the polls here. Right now, the pear cake is in the lead. I would not have predicted that at all.

[Lovedtodeath]

Yay my pick is winning! Both myself and my best friend are allergic to chocolate, so I might have voted differently if that were not so.

[Heidi7Sue]

I can't have chocolate, and I'm allergic to peanuts. Between the other four, I would be very seriously torn if I were sitting in a restaurant. For general purposes, my favorite dessert is creme brulee, or anything involving coconut. But I also love to try new things, and the pear cake and lemon cream puffs sound so intruiguing.

 

Will you give us the recipe for the pear cake?

[Julie in CA]

Warm Pear Cake with Candied Walnut & caramel topping

 

Preheat oven to 350*F

 

Toast 1 cup (4 oz.) walnuts on a pan in the oven, then chop coarsely. Set aside.

 

Prepare a 9" springform pan by lining with parchment and spraying with baker's spray (with flour) or regular cooking spray.

 

In a bowl, sift together:

1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

In a mixer bowl, blend together:

3/4 cup (6 oz.) brown sugar

5 tablespoons (2.5 oz) butter-melted

 

Then add and mix until combined:

1/4 cup (2 oz) canned pear nectar

2 large eggs

 

Add flour mixture and mix just until smooth.

 

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in 1 large or 2 small rip pears-peeled, cored, and cubed (1/2 inch). {I have been using a combination of Bosc and D'Anjou}

 

Load batter into prepped pan and bake for appx. 25 minutes.

{personal note: I like this cake slightly underbaked, when it's still just a touch soft in the middle, ymmv}

 

While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Into a small saucepan, add:

walnuts-toasted & chopped

1/4 cup (2 oz.) butter

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 cup (2 oz.) brown sugar

Cook & stir over high heat, until sugar & butter melt and become caramelized. Boil, stirring frequently, for appx. 3 minutes.

Remove from heat, let cool for a couple of minutes, and then stir in appx. 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping.

Pour hot nut/caramel mixture over the hot cake immediately after it comes out of the oven, pressing nuts gently/evenly over the entire top surface of the cake. Let cake stand until it's cool enough to handle, then remove pan sides, flip cake over onto a plate, and peel off parchment. Then flip cake back over onto serving platter. Serve cake warm, with a small scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

[Julie in CA]

Coconut Cheesecake

 

Bring to room temp:

2 lbs. cream cheese

4 large eggs

 

Prepare a 10" springform pan by wrapping the outside with foil, lining inside bottom with parchment and spraying with cooking spray.

 

Scatter 14 oz. sweetened, shredded coconut on a cookie sheet, and place into oven until slightly browned/toasted, then set aside.

 

Crush 1 cup (3 oz) graham crackers.

 

For the crust, mix with a spoon in a small bowl:

1 cup toasted coconut

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

7 tablespoons (3.5 oz.) melted butter

Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of prepped pan and bake in preheated oven for appx. 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set crust aside, and add a broiler pan of hot water to the bottom rack of your oven.

 

In a mixer bowl, beat the following until smooth and completely lump-less, scraping down sides of bowl often after every addition:

2 lbs. cream cheese

3/4 cup (6 oz.) sugar

 

Add and beat till smooth:

15 oz. Cream of Coconut (look for this near the mixed drink/alcohol in grocery)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

 

Add and beat just until blended:

4 large eggs

1 cup toasted coconut

 

Load batter into prepped pan, and bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes on middle rack (over pan of water). Lower the temp on your oven if you see your cheesecake starting to become too brown.

 

Cheesecake should still be a touch jiggly when you remove it from the oven.

Let it cool, then chill overnight in refrigerator.

 

The next day, melt together in a small bowl then stir till smooth:

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 oz. cream

6 tablespoons dark Karo corn syrup (light also works fine)

Mix in remaining toasted coconut from the day before.

Spread the coconut/chocolate in a thin layer over the top of the cheesecake and chill just until set.

 

Run a hot knife around the sides of the cheesecake and remove the pan sides. Slide the cheesecake & parchment off the pan bottom, then carefully peel the parchment off the bottom and place cheesecake onto serving platter. In order to make perfectly tidy slices, use a very large knife, and rinse the blade with hot water between each cut. For the restaurant, I cut this into 14-16 servings. For home use, you can easily get 18 or more servings. It's pretty rich.

[Julie in CA]

Thanks for sharing :)

 

I just saved it. Our 14th anniversary is coming up in a few weeks, and DH has been asking me to find a chocolatey recipe like this one for a while now.

 

Have you ever tried making this with REALLY dark chocolate, like 77% cacao or higher???

Nope. This is so overwhelmingly chocolaty that I think anything more would be too much. It's also a matter of ingredient expense for the restaurant. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

[Julie in CA]

I would be so thrilled if you'd be willing to share the recipes for all of the rest. And I would make them! I love to make desserts, and yours always sound fabulous.

Let me know how it goes for you if you make any of them, ok?

[Julie in CA]

Coconut cheesecake - sound wrong. Cheesecake should be creamy. I can't wrap my mind around this. But then I am one of the coconut HATERS!!!!

 

I hate all cheesecake. All. Always.

With that said, the coconut comes out incredibly creamy tasting, and I'd definitely eat this and enjoy it if it were served to me.

This cheesecake hater understands your coconut hatred. :001_smile:

[mommaduck]

Thank you so much for the recipes! Bless you! I was always a cheesecake hater. But I have to admit that there has been a time or two where a cheesecake was so well prepared that I actually did like it. I'm a coconut lover though.

[Julie in CA]

Well if the flourless chocolate cake is the same one that you shared the recipe for last year, then without a doubt that would be my first pick. I'm only allowing myself to make it once a year for my birthday because I can seriously eat the whole thing in a couple of days. It is so good. I shared some with my sister last time and she too thought it was the best cake ever.

Wow! You really made it? Awesome! :001_smile:

[Crissy]

It would take me a few minutes to decide. I love a flourless chocolate cake, and the coconut cheese cake sounds wonderful.

I was certain I was going for the pear cake until I got to the mention of ice cream, which I don't eat.

 

In the end, I'd probably go for the creme brulee.

[Julie in CA]

I was certain I was going for the pear cake until I got to the mention of ice cream, which I don't eat.

 

It's the type of restaurant where the server would be delighted to prepare it according to your wishes. No ice cream it is!