Bites from other Blogs

My bookmarks from other bloggers this week were all over the place. I expected that most people would be going for Halloween or other mid-fall fare by this time and was surprised to find a lot of summery or any-time sort of dishes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve been known to make pumpkin pie around Easter!

• First on my list this week is the S’mores Cake from Culinary Masterclass. The photo that goes with the recipe, unfortunately, is very small, but the delicious sounding cake neatly uses all s’mores ingredients – graham cracker (crumbs), mini marshmallows, chocolate chips – and should be perfect for pleasing a s’mores fan looking for something a little different.
• I’ve heard that brownies can be a tricky dessert to figure out for bakers who aren’t from the US, since the taste and texture are rather unique in the world of baked goods. Foodbeamthinks that she finally worked out how to make a good American-style version with her Ricotta and brownie torte. A rich chocolate base swirled with ricotta cheesecake? Whether it fits your idea it the “perfect” brownie or not, it sure sounds tasty.
• Tartufi are rather like bon bons, truffles that have an ice cream center and are wrapped in a chocolate shell. The only real difference is that tartufi tend to have a nut or piece of fruit at their center and are usually topped with nuts. A Whisk and A Spoon‘s White Chocolate and Almond Tartufi starts with a base of homemade ice cream, which makes the process slightly lengthier than it otherwise might be, but also makes every bite absolutely worthwhile.
• I love fruit butters, and pumpkin butter is a particular favorite with apple butter running a close second. The Maple Apple Butter at Under the High Chair sounds like a wonderful version to try with a bunch of fall fruit. The smooth fruit-filled spreads are ideal for topping toast, pancakes or anything else you can think of.
• I tend to think of rich brioche as a lovely bread for breakfasts, but Dessert First made up a batch of Individual Brioche that are designed to be served for, or with, dessert. This is largely because they have a buttery sugar swirl running through them. They can be eaten plain and simply served with coffee or eaten with ice cream and fruit. But if you want them for breakfast anyway, I won’t tell.
• On the non-sweet side, Kalyn’s Kitchen has a recipe for sweet potato fries that are not only seasonal, but much healthier than your average french fry because they are baked in the oven. Hers are also dressed up with a spice mix, although a simple blend of salt and pepper alone would serve the fries well, to.