Sunday, February 7, 2016

Delicious, Simple, Easy Dessert!

Vanilla ice cream in a puff pastry with a raspberry coulis

When I was a kid, my mother was a lawyer, and hence rarely cooked for us during the week. But she came from a long line of great cooks, and she loved to throw a party. At her dinner parties, she used to serve a yummy simple dessert that I served to book club last night. I hadn't had it in years, but it was so easy and oh so good. The first time she made this, she made the puff pastry from scratch or maybe from phyllo dough, but it was a lot of work, and with a big party to prepare for, she learned found a great shortcut in using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. They come frozen. But for now, leave your ice cream and pastry in the freezer.

Raspberry Coulis (adapted from epicurious)

10 ounces frozen raspberries
3/8 - 1/2 cup sugar
1-2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Allow raspberries to thaw. Add all ingredients to a Cuisinart or blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, stirring with a spoon to get the seeds out of the way. I'm pretty sure my mother used a tablespoon or two of Chambord when she made these, and I'll try that next time. Also, back when she made this (in the late 1980s) you could buy raspberries frozen in syrup. I can't find those anymore, which is why I increased the sugar. I think she made hers with a combination of raspberries and strawberries.

Once you're ready to serve dessert, preheat your oven to 425. Place what looks like dough disks on a cookie sheet and bake for about 18 minutes. Voila! They puff up, you remove the lid, and you have a pastry cup. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it and pour the raspberry sauce right over. Be generous.

I think I'll have some for breakfast.

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