pudding + fortune telling fish

Best dessert treat to come with your check! Dense dark chocolate pudding dessert. Mermaid Inn on the Upper West Side.

(image by: vivien chin)

sweet trifecta

Sweet Italian treats from Eataly complimented the home cooked butternut lasagna last night. Tiramisu w/nougat (left); apple tart (top); semifreddo (right).

Decadent and light at the same time. Just perfect!

(image by: vivien chin)

sweet creation: very berry cherry ice cream

Second ice cream made was a berry mix ice cream. Yum yum.

Ingredients: heavy cream, whole milk, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, vanilla, sugar

(image by: vivien chin)

sweet creation: red bean ice cream

First attempt at making red bean ice cream was a success! Just got an ice cream maker and ready to create some delicious frosty treats. One of my next goals will be lychee ice cream. Can’t wait!

Ingredients: heavy cream, whole milk, cooked Asian red beans, vanilla, sugar

(image by: vivien chin)

bomboloni

Little pillows of deliciousness are what these are. While trying to feed a donut craving, found this place called, Bomboloni, that sells little donuts of the same name. Bomboloni are Italian filled donuts topped with powdered sugar. My favorites are the Strawberry, Creme Brulee, Apple, and Raspberry.  Other flavors include Valrhona Chocolate, Traditional, etc.  They are $1 a piece or half-dozen for $5.  Yummy and well worth it.  A must try, you won’t regret it.  There are also other goodies there so check them out!

187 Columbus Ave. (btwn 68th and 69th st.)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 877-3080

(image by: vivien chin)

coffee fudge w/ pecans

Tried making fudge for the first time last week!  Wanted to make my contribution to Kristin and Rick’s Happy Hour Engagement party.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it, as did I.  The espresso really makes the chocolate have a nice coffee/mocha taste.  I love coffee flavor anything so I was drawn to this kind of fudge.  Found a recipe online and altered it a little to make it even more tasty.  Try it out sometime.

Ingredients:

_(3) cups semisweet chocolate [I used (3) 8 oz. boxes of Bakers brand semisweet chocolate and it worked just fine]

_(1) cup chopped pecans (or any nut of your choice)

_(1) 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

_(2) tbsp. of brewed espresso [I used an Italian roast espresso, but any strong brewed coffee will work]

_(1) tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

_Line a 8″ x 8″ pan with foil and butter the foil for easier removal of fudge from pan.  Set aside.

_Set up a double boiler on the stove by filling a pot halfway with water and bring water to a boil.  Place a metal mixing bowl on top of the boiling pot.  Add all the chocolate in.  Chocolate will begin to melt from the heat.  Keep stirring it as it melts. Double boiler set ups are great because it keeps the chocolate from burning.

_Once the chocolate is all melted add in the vanilla and espresso and stir.

_Pour the condensed milk in slowly at first just so the milk gets used to the temperature and then you can pour the rest all in.  Things start to set and thicken pretty fast once you add the milk in so work fast.  Add the pecans in right after you’ve poured in all the milk.  Mix until combined/smooth.

_Quickly pour the mixture into the pre-buttered pan.  Cover the pan and place in the fridge to set.  Should take a couple of hours to set.  (I just left mine over night because I didn’t need it till the next morning.)

_Once set, remove the fudge from the pan and cut into chunks.  Fudge is so dense that a 1″ x 1″ cube is sufficient for a serving chunk size.  Depending on how long you leave the fudge in the fridge, it may be a little hard.  So you may want to let it sit out for a little a room temp to soften up (if you can even wait that long…haha…hard to resist the urge to just dig in).

_Enjoy!

(images taken with my phone so they didn’t turn out too well, but it gives you a little preview)

sweet potato pie man

Can’t resist a sweet potato pie. Found this funny little man in the middle of my pie I picked up at the store today. So funny

(image by: vivien chin)

pinkberry delivers!

Pinkberry delivers…in parts of Manhattan anyway!  Saw this image on a flyer today when I was getting my Pinkberry.  Minimum order of $10 gets you a delivery to your door.  (Alison our wishes have been granted finally!)

brownie bites!

Brilliant idea!  Maximum brownie edge which is what I love.  I want one!!….Brownie bite pan by Wilton