cream

Epic Failure: Peanut Butter Ganache

I used to call this peanut butter fudge, but after seeing a log of real peanut butter fudge at a touristy candy place, I decided that what I made was really ganache. It is mostly chocolate, after all.

The first time I made this I’d stumbled on the recipe – and I suppose even now I stumble through it still. This begins with a nice, smooth ganache, into which I stir salty, creamy peanut butter. Spoon the whole mess into a plastic-lined pan and after a few hours in the fridge you have a sliceable hunk of peanutty chocolate.

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Roasted Pumpkin Soup

I sort of lose my mind when fall comes around. I go to the market and see produce still bursting with color and I want to buy, buy, buy. That's how I came home with several pumpkins and no clear plan to do anything with them.

Enter my friend Wynne, who introduced me to a Ruth Reichl pumpkin-gratin sort of dish. Over the years it had been labeled a soup, a gratin, and as of late, a fondue. Sounded pretty straightforward. Scoop out the insides, fill with stock, cheese and croutons, and roast.

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Homemade Cream Cheese

I never thought to make homemade cream cheese until recently when I tried it at a cheesemaking class. The recipe is very simple, and the only thing you need besides space in the fridge is time. Fresh cheeses like this one can be a snap, and adding this, mozzarella, and chevre and feta to your repertoire is an excellent way to expand your skills in the kitchen and use some of those herbs from your garden.

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Earl Grey Panna Cotta

I was thinking about afternoon tea when I decided to try this variation of panna cotta. If Earl Grey tea tastes wonderful with a dab of milk, why not cream with a dab of Earl Grey?

There are a couple of things I might change the next time I make this recipe (which I present in the original below - modify it in whatever way works for you!):

• Use a tea strainer or fine mesh sieve to remove the leaves, not a standard strainer.
• Use less tea. A little goes a long way.

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