This gorgeous chocolate dessert is so simple to make and can be made ahead of time—hint hint—maybe the perfect ending to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner if you are celebrating at home this year?

Let’s face it, it is pudding–a really really rich, delicious, luxurious, creamy, amazing chocolate pudding so don’t be put off by the fancy name.  And the pistachio bark?  It takes longer to shell the pistachios that it does to make the bark!  The recipe is below and here is the link on line to a contest that I have entered it into.

http://www.mixingbowl.com/message/recipe/view.castle?g=1537317&m=9882258

If you are Mixing Bowl member (it is a great recipe site!) you can vote daily until February 23rd.

For the Pots De Crème

6 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
4 oz finely chopped semisweet chocolate
4 oz finely chopped milk chocolate
6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cup light cream
2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoon warm water

For the Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the White and Dark Pistachio Bark

4oz bittersweet chocolate, broken in to squares (I use Ghirardelli)
4oz white chocolate, broken in to squares
¾ cup shelled salted pistachios, roughly chopped

Directions:

For the Pots de Crème:

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set a fine meshed strainer over the bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and salt until completely combined. Whisk in heavy and light cream. Place saucepan on a medium low heat burner and cook mixture until custard thickens and reaches 175 to 180 degrees, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Pour custard over chopped chocolate through the strainer and allow mixture to stand for five minutes undisturbed. Dissolve espresso powder in water and set aside. After 5 minutes, whisk the custard and melted chopped chocolate gently until smooth. Add espresso and water mixture and whisk again to combine. Divide mixture evenly among 6-8 ramekins or dessert dishes and set desserts aside to cool to room temperature.

When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Before serving, allow pots de crème to warm slightly at room temperature. Top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with white and dark pistachio bark.

For the whipped cream:

In a large bowl beat together cream, sugar and vanilla using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixture until cream has doubled in volume and holds a soft peak.

For the White & Dark Pistachio Bark:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break chocolate into squares. Arrange the white and dark chocolate squares into a checkerboard pattern on the prepared baking sheet. Place chocolate into preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until chocolate is very soft. With a knife or skewer, swirl the white and dark chocolate together as desired. Sprinkle swirled chocolate with pistachios and allow bark to cool completely at room temperature. When ready to serve pots de crème, break bark into large shards and stand one or two pieces up in the dessert.

Every Sunday afternoon I still go to my moms house and have Sunday dinner with all of my family. This has been a tradition since the day I was born. I remember as a kid waking up and smelling the aroma of garlic cooking in the oil as my mother would be preparing the homemade sauce.  That being said, thats what i feel when walking into La Trattoria in Downtown Gloucester. The smell of Garlic, and the friendly faces of the owners Pete and Sam. and the rest of their staff. Every time I enter their restaurant, I am greeted with such a warm embrace, they make me not want to leave.

La Trattoria is now offering great savings in the Udine4less.com Gift Certificate 4 LEss Program

You can get 40% more when you purchase a Gift Certificate 4 Less

Purchase and print directly from your home computer and printer

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No, I was not abducted by aliens or an a Caribbean cruise……………just somehow have not been cooking too much for the last week or so–I won’t let it happen again, I promise!

Here is a delicious spicy apple cake–perfect for a brunch or with coffee–or you can dress it up with some ice cream, caramel sauce or whipped cream for a gorgeous dessert.  The only special equipment needed for this recipe is an 8″ springform pan.  I think you could probably make it in a regular 8″ round cake pan and tip it out after it has cooled a bit.   Don’t run out to buy all of the spices if you don’t already have them on hand.  Use any combination of ginger, cloves, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg, with the cinnamon being the most prominent, and you will have a delicious cake no matter what.  You can also omit the crystallized ginger if you want to.  And I bet you could use pears instead of apples if that is what you have on hand.  Let me know how it comes out if you try any of the substitutions and as always, comment on this post with questions.

Spiced Ginger Apple Sour Cream Cake

2 sticks plus two tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus two tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 pound Cortland apples, peeled, cored and cut in to 1/4” dice
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream
¼ raw sugar (or granulated sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and move rack to the center of the oven.  Butter one 8” round spring form pan and set aside.

In a medium skillet, combine two tablespoons butter and two tablespoons brown sugar over medium heat.  Melt butter and bring to a low boil.  Add chopped apples and crystallized ginger and cook for 5 minutes until apples are softened.  Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.  If excess liquid has accumulated, lift out apples with a slotted spoon before adding to cake batter.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl with the mixer on high, cream 2 sticks butter and remaining cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Continue to beat for about 5 minutes until mixture becomes lighter in color.  Add egg yolks one at a time and beat in completely before adding the next yolk and add vanilla with the last yolk.  Beat again until mixture is smooth and slightly glossy.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Add all of the sour cream and continue mixing until completely incorporated.  Stop the mixture and scrape the edges of the bowl.  Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until no flour is visible

With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in cooled apples in the batter.  Scrape batter in to prepared pan and smooth top with a knife.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in cooled apples in the batter.  Scrape batter in to prepared pan and smooth top with a knife.

Run a knife through the batter in a circle one inch from the edge of the pan, one inch deep.  This will help the cake rise evenly.  Sprinkle raw sugar over the top of the batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  As you can see, I wasn’t even able to take a picture of it before someone cut themselves a big slice!  Enjoy!

When Joey sleeps, it’s time to play!

I have to admit it, Joey’s a hard working guy. With his Lobster company and this Blog he loves to promote this Beautiful Town we live in. He Tireless! and He’s a pain in the Ass!

BUT!

I warned him! This could happen. After a cheap Box Of Wine, who knows what Crap will hit the Fan when you have Keys to the GMG Kingdom. (insert Dr. Evils Laugh here)

Just check out my first Post for Proof. https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/joeys-invitation-he-may-soon-regret/

But, Even when the Man Sleeps GMG Keeps You Updated!

With; Local Positive News, Food (mmmm), Events, Fundraisers, Photography, Arts, Music, Local Sports,Local Business,  Even Rockport Stuff, etc., etc., etc.

GMG KEEPS YOU COVERED!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Events, Great Photography, Interviews, Arts, Fundraising, Community Involvement, Food, Local Sports, Local News, etc., etc., etc.

 

For those of you wondering- yes there is a free WiFi signal at the drive through at Macdonalds. I’m sending this post through their connection- now.

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

Did y’all know?

Bob Marshall and his family have a long history of farming on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Their Farm Stand in Gloucester has long been a destination for fresh vegetables & fruits and locally made foods. Bob saw an opportunity to bring these same fresh flavors to the Fenway community in Boston. As the seasons unfold, Marshall’s Fenway will deliver the flavors of just-picked produce in addition to offering selections of prepared foods, meats & dairy that are created in small batches by local purveyors. During the winter months, the fresh produce will be carefully picked to offer the highest quality available on the market. When you stop in, make sure to say hello to Bob and if you would like to visit the Gloucester Farm Stand during the season, click here for more information.

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

One Post of Sharons brought me days of enjoyment  Last year.

Sharon was a little Naive then, but she has Grown  alot since.

There are a lot of new readers of GMG who probably missed these;

https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/joeys-on-a-culture-roll-and-i-want-this/

https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/in-search-of-the-pickle/

I hope you enjoy them.

Then again, Maybe You Had to be there!