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Hey, everyone!
I’ve had so much fun creating food videos (covering appetizers, soups, salads and mains) that I thought I would start another show, this time about one of my favorite topics: DESSERTS!
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve enjoyed baking (words in text cannot convey how much I enjoy it and it runs in my family). Some of my favourite memories are of baking with my grandmother in Newfoundland (you can read about the cake incident in my bio ) or watching my mother whip something up. Throughout the years, I have made many a dessert including cakes, cookies, brownies, peanut butter cups, puddings, etc. [Helenka’s nostalgic comment: “Oh, those peanut butter cups! And also parfaits!”]
With that said, I thought now would be the perfect time to create a new video show (current thinking is perhaps once a month) and share my adventures with all of you. Along the way, I’ve invited a few of my friends/family to join in on the fun. Or you may see me preparing for a competition (something fun we do at work) or just something by myself for my own enjoyment!
For my inaugural episode, I invited a very special guest (I think you may have seen her once or twice before), namely Helenka from “Friends Food Fun”. So please sit back, relax and check out “Desserts Are Fun with Brian & Friends!”
Desserts are not something we need to sustain life, but they certainly do enhance what life has to offer. To me, nothing says it more decadently than real vanilla whipped cream smothering strawberries, raspberries, drizzled with balsamic glaze and honey and sprinkled with chopped walnuts. Mmm-mmm-mmmm.
Special thanks to Jennifer at work who gave me the idea of using Balsamic Glaze with the berries. Of course, we got carried away and I started piling on other stuff!
Recipe: FRESH FRUIT WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE & WHIPPED CREAM
Ingredients
- For this recipe, you will need the following (proportions are guesstimates because who needs measurements when you can just wing it):
2 Dessert Cups
6 Strawberries
6 Raspberries
2 tablespoons Balsamic Glaze (usually found with the other vinegars in the store)
2 tablespoons Honey (we used Alfalfa Honey)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Whipping Cream (you can cheat by buying the canned stuff or make your own using the directions below).Over the Top Whipping Cream
Ingredients1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream (35% cream or higher if you can find it)
3 tablespoons Confectioner’s Sugar (regular sugar works well too – just add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (keep it real – none of that imitation stuff)
Instructions
- Directions
In a chilled small mixing bowl using chilled beaters (I put both in the freezer because they need to be really cold for best results), beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla (if you like the flavour of vanilla, then use MORE!); beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator (or eat immediately like right out of the bowl – Helenka and I did 😉 ).
Assembly
Clean and slice strawberries before placing into dessert cups; add washed raspberries; drizzle half the balsamic glaze over berries for each cup; spoon half the whipping cream over the glaze and berries; drizzle half the honey, then finally sprinkle chopped walnuts (you can toast them if you like).
Life’s sweet treats are best enjoyed with friends!
Dig in and Enjoy!!
B =;)Helenka’s notes:
That brother of mine decided to really surprise me by keeping me up on my perch after we’d finished the “Friends Food Fun” episode. He also removed my Chef’s Sidekick title (only temporarily, thank goodness), so that I was a … guest. Why, it was such an honour! He made a simple but elegant dessert by building it from the ingredients he already listed in the recipe above. Just one wee coincidence: the whipping cream was left over from the Christmas episode. Wow! That was good luck.
This sophisticated, adult version of a sundae was so much fun to eat. I’ve had balsamic vinegar on fruit before, though never anything as thick as a glaze. [And I’ve probably mentioned my teen obsession because of Graham Kerr’s TV show, The Galloping Gourmet, of eating strawberries sprinkled with freshly-ground black pepper. Making everybody around me believe I was eccentric. ::looks around in mock-confusion:: Who, me?]
For a variation, I could definitely see blackberries in the mix, also red currants possibly interspersed with the walnuts on top, as the fruit is so pretty on its delicate vine.
So, once again, different taste sensations are savoured. And a point is made. What is naturally sweet does not need to be overwhelmed with additional sweetness.