This recipe might seem complicated because it has many steps, but those are easy steps, and it’s a fast recipe too. Last time I was in Nancy, France I had lunch at this new restaurant close to Place Stanislas where I was served this  amazing pineapple dessert. How gorgeous is that? Ever since I wanted to use pineapple in a light dessert. This dessert of mine has nothing in common, other than the pineapple…but it proves that the diversity of desserts you can create using pineapple is infinite.

I used express polenta, as it’s very convenient, it will save you time when you are in a hurry. The highlight of this dish not being polenta, I thought to use express polenta. I would not use it when I make traditional Italian polenta savory dishes but in this case, it’s a nice option.

If using dairy, I would use whole milk and add a little heavy cream for extra texture.

Ingredients

For the polenta cakes

• 1 cup almond milk or any other milk of your choice
• 1/2 cup express polenta
• honey or sweetener of your choice
• vanilla bean, cut in half and beans scraped
• 2 tsp raisins
• 2 tbs rum

For the braised pineapple

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 pineapple
• light agave nectar
• orange juice
• 2 tbs rum

For the pineapple tartare

• 1/2 pineapple
• 2 tbs mint, finely chopped
• 1 lime (zest and juice)
• ginger (optional)
• light agave nectar to taste

For the pineapple coulis

• 1 cup pineapple
• agave nectar to taste
• vanilla extract to taste

Instructions

For the polenta cakes

Bring milk to a boil with vanilla beans scarped and sweetener. Pour polenta gradually and keep stirring for a few minutes. If the polenta is too thick add milk (it needs to be a thick consistency). Remove from heat and add rum and raisins. Using a wooden board or flat surface pour the polenta and spread evenly into a 1.5 com thick layer. Let it cool. When completely cold, using a cutter, cut into 2 inches squares.

For the braised pineapple

Take pineapple and cut top and bottom so that the pineapple stays vertically flat. Using a sharp knife cut the skin from top to bottom all around the pineapple. Slice pineapple from top to bottom to obtain 5 mm thick slices and about 4.5 inches wide. (The first slices will be narrow so use them for the tartare part). Keep the wider slices for braising. Using the same cutter used to cut polenta, cut pineapple into squares (or circles if used a round cutter).

Melt coconut oil in a pan. When melted add pineapple slices and at high heat cook them until slightly golden brown on both sides. Add agave nectar. Add orange juice and let it reduce. Add rum and flame. Let it reduce a little more. Keep warm.

For the pineapple tartare

Using the pineapple saved when making slices, dice in small 5mm. Add all other ingredients and refrigerate.

For the pineapple coulis

Using a blender, mix all ingredients and filter through a sieve to obtain a smooth coulis

To serve: place two polenta squares on a plate. Place braised pineapple on top of each polenta square. Add 1 tsp of pineapple tartare on top and pour some coulis around. Decorate with lime zests.

That is one is now one of my new favorite desserts. I have a few favorite desserts despite my non sweet tooth, and this one certainly is on the list.

I was skeptical before starting this recipe, I thought the quinoa flavor would be too strong and overwhelming and not starchy enough, that this would not work as well as rice. I was wrong. I used regular milk but any other non dairy milk such as almond milk would be an alternative if you want to make it dairy free. I like to serve it with a fresh fruit salad and it’s the perfect light dessert, I would call it the guilt free dessert.

This is a quick little dessert to make, it cooks in 20 minutes, then you need to let it cool and it’s ready.

The pineapple salsa is cut in small little cubes and marinated in mint and agave nectar, nothing extravagant but perfect match with the subtle rum flavor you get while biting in the raisins.

Ingredients for 3-4

For the quinoa

• 7 oz (or 200 g) quinoa
• 1.7 cups (or 40 cl) milk
• 1.4 oz (or 40 g) sugar
• vanilla bean cut in 2
• golden raisins 3 tbs
• rum (enough to soak the raisins in)

For the pineapple salsa

• 3 slices of fresh pineapple, cut in small even cubes (about 6mm)
• 1 tbs mint, finely chopped
• agave nectar (to your liking)

Preparation

Rinse quinoa under running water, then place in a pot with the milk and vanilla beans scraped and simmer. Add sugar and let cook until the milk had been absorbed. In the meantime, soak raisins in rum until they turn soft and plumpy for about 30 minutes. Add raisins when quinoa is cooked. Stir well and let it cool, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

For the pineapple salsa, mix all the ingredients and refrigerate.

Serve cream of quinoa with pineapple salsa.

I love this cake, I love it even more because I used the almond pulp that was left while making almond milk. So there is no waste in the process.

In France in January we celebrate Epiphany, and we eat the traditional Kings cake or galette des rois made with frangipane (mixture of butter, eggs, sugar and ground almonds).

I adore frangipane, so last week I made a  galette des rois for some guests who came for dinner, since then I have been hooked on almonds. I have been basically trying to reproduce a galette des rois flavor in a cake…et voilà, c’est réussi!

This cake is very moist, so soft and if you like frangipane, you will love this cake. I am very happy about the results and will make this cake again and again after I make almond milk.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• leftover almond pulp (from making almond milk, about 1.5 cups)
• 4 tbs almond flour
• 2 tbs regular flour
• 3.5 oz (or 100 gr) melted butter
• 7 oz (or 200 gr) sugar
• 1 tbs rum
• 1 tsp almond extract

Preparation:

In a container, mix leftover almond pulp, sugar, yolks, both flours, butter, rum and almond extract. In another container, beat egg whites until firm. Carefully, mix whites to the almond mixture.

Butter a round mold and pour batter. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let it cool. sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced toasted almonds.

One recipe adapted from “La Bonne Cuisine Végétarienne de Babette” with a creole inspiration. Who doesn’t like rum, vanilla and orange juice? I have never really cooked plantains before, maybe once or twice in a savory dish, but I never really got much inspired by it. In my mind, a plantain is just like a banana, a fruit, therefore more suited in a dessert type of dish.

Needless to say I loved this dessert, any fruit based desserts are my favorites. In the original recipe, there is a cinnamon stick, I didn’t add it since I am not a huge fan of cinnamon. I think usually cinnamon over powers the natural flavor of the fruit, but that’s just a personal preference. I changed the quantities a bit by adding less sugar, but you can play with that too. The great thing about this recipe, is that it’s quick to prepare, yet delicious, so definitely a winner.

I would serve this with a scoop of coconut ice cream (in the original recipe, they suggest some lime sorbet). I found some really good coconut ice cream a while ago, with candied ginger, that was incredibly good, but they stopped selling it, so I need to find a replacement for that. I found it strange that anytime I love something, they stop selling it or producing it. As we say in French, les bonnes choses ont une fin, good things have an end, so let’s enjoy them while we can!

Ingredients for 2 or 3

• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 1 ripe plantain, diced
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half and bean scraped
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 3 tbs rum
• juice of 2 oranges
• zest of one lemon
• Coconut ice cream (optional)

Preparation

Melt sugar in a pan to obtain a caramel (not too dark). Add mango and plantain, let cook for a few minutes, then add vanilla beans. and the scraped pod. Stir and cook for a few additional minutes. Add orange juice, rum and lemon zest and let cook for about ten more minutes.

Serve warm with a scoop of coconut ice cream

This slang expression, Tu l’as eu dans le baba! (you need an exclamation point), is mainly used to express a failure, or when you expected something you didn’t get. It’s somehow a funny expression, used quite often. But baba is also a dessert, baba au rhum is a traditional rhum cake served with whipped cream (but you can serve it with fruits also)…and yes there is a little history behind it, because it involves Nancy my hometown. When recipes like this one are traced back 300 or 400 years, sometimes it’s difficult to really be 100% certain where the inspiration or the original recipe originated. It might have been someone who came back from a trip and “imported” the idea or the recipe from a foreign country, then developed it in its own country.

As far as baba au rhum is concerned, it’s linked to King Stanislas Leszczinzky (king of Poland) and also Duke of Lorraine in the XVIIIe, brought back the idea from Poland in his Luneville castle, then the recipe started to evolve a bit over time.

This was my first try at baba au rhum, usually pastries are my second choice when I have to eat something, I love to serve a great pastry after a meal when I have guests over, but not being a sweet tooth, I don’t go into some baking spree. Once in a while I like to try out baking new things, but salt is my element not sugar. The recipe has been inspired by the book called “La cuisine des bistrots” from edition “Tomawalk’. Even though baking time said 25 min, I think according to your oven you have to adapt it, and not over cook the baba, or it will get hard and difficult for the rum syrup to soak it. Next time I will decrease baking time. Then of course, you can add quantity of rum you like, it’s all up to your tastes!

Ingredients for 6 babas

For the batter

• 3.17 oz (or 90 g) butter + for molds
• 3.38 fl oz (or 10 cl) milk
• 3 eggs
• 7.76 oz (or 220 g) flour
• 0.35 oz (or 10 g) yeast
• 1 tbs sugar

For the syrup

• 8.81 oz (or 250 g) sugar
• 1 tbs rum
• 1.41 oz (or 40 cl) water

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk and let it rest for 10 min.

In a mixing container, mix flour, eggs, sugar and mixture milk/yeast. Mix well until you obtain an elastic batter. Soften butter at room. temperature. Let the batter rest for about one hour in a warm area. After the batter rested, incorporate soft butter and mix until the batter becomes smooth.

Butter molds, then divide batter in them, filling them in half. Let it rest for another hour or so.

Preheat oven at 390F and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Don’t overcook or the babas will turn hard and difficult to absorb the syrup.

When babas are cooked remove from oven and let them cool on a cookie rack.

Prepare the syrup, mix water with sugar and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add rum.

Place babas in a deep plate and pour 2 tbs of hot syrup. Let the babas absorb the liquid, then proceed a few more times until the babas are well soaked. Place babas in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with whipped cream.

 
Yes, this one is definitely my last post before I fly to France next week. I was going through one of my books called “La cuisine de Bistrot” from Tomawalk Editions, yesterday and this recipe really caught my eye. This is such a simple and yet delightful little dessert. For me, nothing beats fruit based desserts and this warm and soft banana swimming in rum and brown sugar is a winner, besides it’s very simple and quick. These days, I have very little time to cook for myself, I am too busy cooking for others, so something so simple and delicious is a big winner in my book. If you have guests, and have no idea what to make for dessert, try theses bananas, they will certainly make a “bel effet” (a great impression, I hope this is proper English).

Papillote always make great presentations…opening them is like opening a surprise, you never know what you are getting inside. You can use parchment paper (that’s what I use most), but today I was out so, I had to use aluminum paper even though there has been some warning about the use of aluminum. It’s bad if it gets into your system at some small doses, but I figured I will not die if I use it once.

Ingredients for 2

• 2 bananas, cut in half (ends removed)
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 vanilla bean
• vanilla powder
• 2 tbs rum

Preparation

Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the beans with a knife. Insert them on sides of the banana between the peel and the flesh. Using a parchment paper place banana trunks in the middle of the foil of paper, top with sugar and butter cut in pieces. Close the papillote and cook in a pre-heated over at 370F for about 20 minutes. Open the papillote and add rum. Serve in plates, pouring the juice on top of bananas.

If you are not a cook, nor a pastry chef, this would be for you…How a dessert can more simple? Besides, it’s quite light, so in my book all the attributes to be called a perfect dessert. I think as a “petite chose sucrée“, a little sweet thing to serve when you have unplanned guests and no time to prepare a more complex dessert. You can also eat this as a snack with tea, the cups are small, about 2 1/2 inches height so in a few spoonfuls, you’re done.

I believe that you should not skip on anything, not fat, not sugar, so obviously not dessert either but eat small portions. That is the key to maintain a healthy body, and keeping a weight down (and of course exercising). I don’t believe on those restrictive diets that will make you lose weight, make you moody and miserable, then gain all the weight back, due to uncontrollable cravings. Maybe that is my French background that is talking this way, but so far it has shown to be efficient.

Of course, there can be many variations, such as replacing the banana with pears, pineapple, or any other fruit you like. Also, instead of the caramel, you can use chocolate, since chocolate and banana have been made for each other. For the caramel, you can use the one you buy at the store, I found some delicious caramel à la fleur de sel in a small jar at the Rainbow Market, that added a nice touch to it.

This pudding will be classified in my “ à refaire souvent” (to be made often) category due to its easiness and deliciousness ratio. It’s creamy, flavorful and light…just the way I love my desserts.

Ingredients for 4

• 4 slices brioche
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 4 tsp caramel
• 4 tbs raisins
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs rum

Preparation

In a mixing container, combine eggs, sugar, milk, cream, rum and vanilla. Mix well to obtain a homogenous consistency. Using some small glasses (the ones than can be placed in the oven of course), start putting together the pudding. lay banana slices at the bottom of the glasses, then add raisins (previously soaked in rum), add brioche and proceed the same way with the other layer.

At the end of the process, you need to finish up with the brioche on top and not the banana. Pour the egg/milk mixture on top to cover the brioche.

Cook in a bain-marie (water bath) for about 25 minutes at 380F until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool, sprinkle with vanilla powder or powdered sugar and eat cold (not lukewarm) or at room temperature

Who said that polenta only needs to be eaten in savory dishes? I was so excited about this dessert, that I have been thinking about it for days. Let’s also enjoy the peaches while they last, soon they’ll no longer be available. I cannot believe it’s already September.

In France, we have some semolina based desserts like this one (gâteau à la semoule) that the kids usually love (well adults too). So I somehow decided to play with polenta. You need a medium to fine grind. I don’t like to use the coarse kind that much. This polenta has such a fragrant vanilla and milky flavor, I could not stop eating it from the pot. The peach is roasted in honey and rum, which makes every bits a real delight. If you combine on your spoon some polenta cake, peach, mascarpone and run sauce, you might end up being addicted to it.

The peaches need to be ripe but still firm so they don’t overcook quickly while in the oven.

While I was playing with my dessert, I got caught on the phone for a short time, I did not realized that someone was stealing my crumbs. My dog Enzo is as obsessed with food as I am. Of course, a dog being a dog, his obsessions limit themselves too eating food rather than preparing it. I think if I were a dog, I would be just like him. While distracted on the phone, I did not see Enzo, open the kitchen cabinet, and steel the breadcrumbs jar. He opened the lid, left the lid laying on the kitchen floor, took the bread crumbs jar in “his room”, spreading the crumbs on the rug before eating them, and of destroying the jar in pieces. Then after his fight with the crumbs, he hid underneath the bed to hide, knowing he was in trouble.

When I saw his moustache I could not stop laughing, schnauzers have funky moustaches that get easily dirty.

Ingredients for 4

For the polenta cakes

• 200 ml milk
• 30 g heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise and beans scraped
• 50 g sugar
• 65 g polenta
• 2 tbs golden raisins
• 8 dried apricots, unsweetened and cut in small pieces
• 3 tbs rum

For the roasted peaches

• 2 large yellow peaches, peeled and cut in half and seed removed
• 1 tbs honey
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs sliced almonds, toasted
• 4 tbs mascarpone

Preparation

For the polenta cakes

In a pot, combine milk and cream, sugar and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil. Add polenta gradually while stirring. Keep stirring for about 20 minutes (you can also use express polenta). Add extra milk if the polenta gets too thick. Add raisins and apricots pieces. Mix well. Spread in a flat surface keeping the thickness to about 2 cm. Let it cool. Using cookie cutters, or rinds, cut 4 circles.

For the roasted peaches

Grease a  baking dish with butter. Place peaches halves (flat part down). sprinkle with sugar and honey and cook in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 15 minutes, then turn the peaches on the other side. Let them cook for another 10 minutes, then deglaze with rum (the soaking rum). Put peaches back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven let them cool a little.

Place one polenta cake in a plate. Add half peach on top. Add mascarpone on the side and sprinkle with rum sauce.

I have been on a strange coconut cravings lately, coconut and more coconut, if it was not as high in calories, I would eat it all day long and that goes the same for panna cotta which I absolutely adore. Vado pazza per la panna cotta! I realized that I do like desserts, as long as they’re fruit based. Maybe technically this cannot be called panna cotta, because it’s predominantly made with coconut milk, and a little cream, quindi la panna non c’è (there is not really panna).

Traditional panna cotta is delicious, but this one can be quite a pleasant surprise for your palate, as it’s lightly sweetened and creamy. I have been thinking and thinking and me creuser les méninges (litterally meaning to dig your meninges) to find a light dessert combining coconut and pineapple, and this one popped into my mind. Lately I have decided I will develop great recipes for entertaining which do not require the “host” to stay in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun next door. I do not like food that has been prepared too long in advance and re-heated at the time of serving. For some dishes, it could work, but for some others it doesn’t and taste like “réchauffé” (not only it means re-heated but also old and re-heated, with that unfresh after taste).

Pineapple has been crushed raw into a purée with an immersion blender, which is perfect for this kind of job. You get a perfect texture and do not need extra liquid. I used agar agar instead of regular gelatin sheets in the panna cotta since it’s a seaweed based gelatin and 100% natural and vegan. Agar agar has been used in Japan since centuries. It’s usually used to the proportions of 4 grams per 1 liter of liquid and needs to be dissolved in a small amount of cold liquid before adding it to the hot mixture.

This panna cotta is not too sweet, very light and so refreshing, so just THE little final note to a beautiful meal.

Ingredients for 4

For the panna cotta

• 10.14 fl oz (or 300 ml) coconut milk
• 3.38 fl oz (or 100 ml) milk
• 3.38 fl oz (or 100 ml) heavy cream
• 4 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp agar agar (or the equivalent of 2 grams)

For the pineapple soup

• 1/2 pineapple
• 3 tbs agava nectar
• 2 tbs rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ground vanilla beans powder
• 1 tbs mint, chopped

Preparation

In a pot, bring to a light boil milk, cream and coconut milk, add agar agar dissolved in a little milk, and let it cook stirring for a few minutes, then remove from heat. Add sugar and stir to get it dissolved.

Place in small ramequins, let it cool and refrigerate until it solidifies (at least a few hours).

For the pineapple purée, mix all ingredients together (except for the mint) and using an immersion blender, mix until it turns into a thick purée. Cut mint very finely and add to the purée. Refrigerate for about one hour.

Remove panna cotta from ramequins and spoon some pineapple purée all around.

I had this dessert at the Brasserie Lutèce in Paris after a huge plateau de fruits de mer (seafood platter), the carpaccio was served with a pineapple sorbet, and it was the perfect sweet touch to that wonderful dinner. I always kept it in the corner of my head, but there are so many things to try, experiment, that one year went by and I still haven’t made this carpaccio. I just didn’t want this to be left out. Now I have no idea how they made it, all I know is that it tasted like mint and rum. It is a simple way to serve pineapple but simplicity is sometimes worth a complicated and heavy dessert.

Of course, when I like a dish in a restaurant, I try to reproduce it from memory since I am not going to ask the chef for its recipe, I am wondering if they’ll think that is daring or if they’ll be pleased without disclosing the recipe. With time passing by, memory can play some tricks. Pineapple and rum are a match from heaven almost like banana and chocolate.

You need a well ripe pineapple and a great knife. The pineapple slices needs to be cut very thinly. Mine were sliced a little too thick for my taste. It has nothing to do with my knife but more so with my poor slicing skills. The slices are marinated in a light syrup infused with vanilla bean, mint and rum.

I did not remove the core of the pineapple, because I somehow like it. I like it’s fibrous texture. When thinly sliced, you won’t really notice its hard and fibrous texture, the slices are too thin.

For 3-4 people

• 1 large well ripe pineapple, very thinly sliced
• 2 tbs mint, finely chopped
• 1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise
• 2 tbs dark rum
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water

Preparation

Peel pineapple from top to bottom removing its skin. Cut pineapple crosswise in very thin slices and set aside.

In a pot, dissolve sugar with water and heat it up a low temperature, add vanilla bean and scrape beans. Let it infuse and boil for a little while until it infuses. When the syrup has reduced, let it cool. Add rum and mint.

Pour on top of pineapple and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve in cold plates with some coconut cookies or a slice of brioche.

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