Perpetual dessert thread

[DocBuzzkill]

Setting this up as a catch-all for various desserts, whether delicious fare at a restaurant or food truck or recipes.Here's the ginger-pear puff pastry tart recipe I mentioned in the sort of Sunday dinner thread.
Adapted from Fork, Knife, Swoon

                         


Ingredients   
                                                                                       
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 pears, thinly sliced
2 to 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp demerara sugar (or coarse sanding sugar)
                                         
Instructions     
                                                                       
Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the puff pastry on a clean, lightly-floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin, lightly press the pastry to ~ 10 x 10 inch square.
Gently transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet.  Using a sharp-tined fork, lightly poke holes in the puff pastry, leaving a 1 inch border. Avoid completely piercing the pastry.

Peel, core, and slice pears; place slices in a medium sized mixing bowl.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, ginger, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mixing well. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the top of the puff pastry with the butter mixture.

Pour the remaining butter/sugar/spice mixture over the pear slices and gently mix to thoroughly coat the fruit.

Leaving a 1 inch border, layer/”shingle” the pear slices on top of the puff pastry, alternating directions to create a wave-like pattern.

Sprinkle the pear slices with the demerara sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed around the edges and the pears are tender.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

 

[Chasing Amy]

Oh hell yeah, this is the thread for me!

https://soomfoods.com/blogs/recipes/dark-chocolate-tahini-tart

If you haven't discovered Soom Tahini, go and buy some right now. Nice and creamy, doesn't harden up the way other tahini brands do and it is a female-owned business.

[CheryG]

Working on a recipe for fun: pumpkin ice cream sandwiches.

They're adorable but this first round doesn't have the flavor I want so I'll try again and give these away.

[DocBuzzkill]

Thanks for the tip on tahini, CA!  I often make my own hummus (pressure cook chickpeas, etc.), which uses tahini, so I'll look for Soom brand.  Our local bagel place makes tahini brownies, which are excellent, so I'll bet that tart is good.

CheryG...any photos of the adorable pumpkin ice cream sandwiches?

[DocBuzzkill]

I made this on Saturday using a recipe from a recent issue of Milk Street magazine.  It was fairly easy and really good.  A 9-inch springform pan is a must. 

Greek Apple Cake with Honey and Cinnamon

There are many types of apple cakes, but Greek milopita is unique in that it often is made with two very Mediterranean ingredients: olive oil and yogurt. It’s a homey, rustic treat, with a moist, dense crumb studded with chunks of fruit. Our take on milopita is an easy no-mixer affair. The spicing is simple but warm, balanced by the brightness of orange, and we amp up the apple flavor by reducing apple cider to a syrup that’s used in the batter as well as a lustrous glaze on the cooled cake. Heavy cream mixed with a little Greek yogurt, sweetened with a little honey and whipped to soft peaks is a perfect accompaniment. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Servings 12 to 16

Prep and cooking: 1 1/2 hours plus cooling

Tip
Don’t use an apple variety that breaks down when cooked. Choose one or two that are firm and crisp, with a flavor that’s sweet-tart rather than just sugary. Honeycrisp and Gala are two widely available varieties that work well in the cake. Don’t toss the apples with sugar too far in advance or the fruit will begin to soften and release juices.

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider
2 3-inch strips orange zest, plus ¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey, divided
3 inch cinnamon stick
268 grams (1¼ cups) plus 2 tablespoons white sugar, divided
325 grams (2½) cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
120 grams (½ cup) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 pound (2 medium) firm, crisp, sweet-tart apples, such as Honeycrisp or Gala, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar, to serve (optional)

Directions In a small saucepan, combine the cider, orange zest and juice, 1 tablespoon of the honey and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ½ cup, 8 to 10 more like 20 to 30 minutes (stir frequently). Transfer to a medium bowl. Remove and discard the orange zest and cinnamon stick. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the syrup and the remaining 1 tablespoon honey; set aside for glazing the cake. Cool the syrup cool and glaze to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a round of kitchen parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 268 grams (1¼ cups) sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. To the syrup in the medium bowl, add the eggs, oil and yogurt; whisk to combine. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, nutmeg, ground cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until mostly smooth. Add the batter to the apples and fold until the fruit is evenly distributed throughout. Transfer to the prepared pan, then gently shake the pan to level the batter. Bake until well browned and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then remove the pan sides. Invert the cake onto the rack, lift off the springform base, then peel off and discard the parchment. Re-invert onto a serving platter, then evenly brush the glaze onto the surface. If desired, dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

[Kumbaya]

I would like to try this:

Brown Sugar Layer Cake With Cranberry Buttercream

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019726-brown-sugar-layer-cake-with-cranberry-buttercream?unlocked_article_code=1.ck4.JWRr.bzOTnQKh_g9u&smid=share-url