Bagel Bombs

Bagel Bombs

A memo to the kids and newcomers to Chicago: it gets cold here.  It can get really, really cold here.  Sometimes we get lucky and have a mild winter, as has happened for the past couple of years.  Other years we get hit by a blizzard or a cold snap.  It happens.

Today is now on record as the second coldest day in Chicago because there was about an hour that it was -23F.  If you followed the news or social media, you would think it was -23 the entire day but no, it was an hour.  That's it.  I am old enough to have been around in 1985 when the other really cold day happened.  I was 9 years old at the time so I don't remember much but here is the Chicago Sun-Times front page.  See that?  The headline says, "Brave" and that most folks bundled up and kept moving.  Really, the only person who should worry about a blizzard or cold snap is the Mayor.  God help the person in office who doesn't handle it well.

I know I am being nostalgic and sounding as old as dirt when I say this but I miss the days when Chicagoans took pride in their thick skin and ability to put on long underwear and power through a cold day.  I know that in 1985 the deep freeze (-27F) was on a Sunday but I guarantee my Mother had me in church.  I also never, ever remember having school cancelled because it was cold.  The fact that school was cancelled today and tomorrow, when it it supposed to be a balmy 0 degrees, is nuts to me.  Last I checked, I am the Mother of my kid.  If I determine if it's too cold for him to go to school (see never, ever), then I will keep him at home.  Thank you Oak Park School District for parenting for me.  Can you also cook dinner and help with homework?  That would be lovely!

Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O Salad

Foodies will probably keep on moving when they see a Jell-O salad post.  Of course, if I need to find someone of that ilk, I need not look any further than a mirror.  Yes, that's right, I was formerly a Jell-O salad snob.  My apologies but everything I have tasted of this salad variety has usually been bland and those pre-packaged Jell-O salads from the grocery store are outright disgusting.  

My thoughts on this flavor combination have been turned on their head with this recipe.  A creamy, cream cheese filling with the salty pretzels and sugary sweet Jell-O balance each other quite well.  This is one of those desserts you need to make for a crowd.  If you don't, you will end up like me and eating half the pan yourself.  Yes, I really did that and still feeling the shame.

Coeur a la Crème

What a babe! Yes my darlings, there is my Valentine, 36 pounds of cute and cuddly with a big spoon full of la Crème in his mouth. Before everyone flips and says, my God, you gave that child an entire plate full of cream cheese and whip cream? Um, no, it was for the photo and I siphoned off a piece for him once the pictures were taken. I am sure everyone can guess what happened at that point, yep, pure, unadulterated rage at taking away the entire plate. Good times.

So, on topic here. I have been meaning to make this dessert forever and I finally got off my toucas, got the heart shape mold and did it just in time for Valentine's Day. I love any kind of food that has a wow presentation factor and in that respect, this certianly fits the bill. Side note here to not be afraid of drizzling some chocolate and caramel on top of this delightful treat.

As far as the taste and feel of the this dessert goes, I absolutely love that it has a light quality to it. I am a sucker for cheesecake but the drawback is that it is quite heavy and you almost have to have a dinner of salad for a dessert like cheesecake. The Coeur a la Crème is excellent in that the cream cheese is whipped with heavy cream thereby creating enough air to give it a light feel. The taste is delicate with a hint of lemon but also has a deep flavor with the punch of vanilla and tang of cream cheese. A truly elegant dessert that is a wonderful end to any dinner. The only word that can properly describe the taste is délicieux! Bon Appétit!


Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
Fresh raspberries for serving

Method

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate. Serve with raspberries and sauce if desired.

Raspberry Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.