Saturday, June 06, 2015

Amaretto Crème Brûlée

It is my humble belief that crème brûlée is quite possibly the best dessert on the planet. Luxurious and sexy, it is perhaps the ultimate in dessert fare. I adore it. My family begs me to make it. (We practically lick the ramekins clean.) We are sad when the last one in the fridge is gone. We order it whenever it is on the menu while dining out. I have introduced many people in my life to this dessert and they inevitably come to crave it just as much as I do.


Seriously. It's pretty darn amazing.

I, typically, make the traditional vanilla-style crème brûlée, but recently began experimenting with different flavors and add-ins. This amped up version has become a favorite of mine.


The flavor notes of the amaretto combine so beautifully with the silkiness and creaminess of the custard. I am totally in love with this version. Of course, the crackling of the glass-like sugar topping brings this dessert full circle. I just couldn't imagine enjoying the custard nearly as much without it, so I beg of you not to skip that part of the recipe.


As far as dessert recipes go, crème brûlée truly is super basic ingredient-wise. You'll be using only a handful of simple ingredients - cream/milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. For this version, a little amaretto (a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur) is used to enhance the dessert and to truly wow  your senses.

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Twenty-Minute Garlic Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes {Stove Top Method}

I love simple recipes. I love potatoes. This recipe is the perfect marriage of both. Can I get an amen, friends?


Looking for an ultra-simple, yet ultra-tasty side dish? I've got you covered with this rockin' recipe. And, you'll love the short, no-nonsense ingredient list.

I've always roasted potatoes in the oven. I recently set out to attempt to achieve the same result as oven-roasting except that I wanted to cut the time way down and I wanted not to have to heat up my oven.  This couldn't-be-simpler recipe is the end result of my recent experimentation.

First, I think you'll enjoy how short and simple the ingredient list is for this dish. Basically, you need just three ingredients - olive oil, baby potatoes and garlic. (Of course, I consider salt and pepper as "freebies.") If you'd like, you can garnish the cooked potatoes with fresh parsley or snipped chives at time of service. And, just for fun, I sprinkled on a little freshly-shaved Parmesan.

These are great served as-is or you can serve them with a sour cream and chive dipping sauce. Of course, my kids seem to enjoy them with ketchup. A creamy ranch-style dressing is, also, good with these.

Serves 4.