in the kitchen x salted caramel, seckel pear, and milk ice cream

The second of my milk & pear pairing is this comforting dessert. With the cold weather, and post-holiday blues, nothing brings the warmth like familiar food that's full of buttery goodness. That was my inspiration for this dessert, especially the hazelnut brown butter cake. I love hazelnut cake in general, but amped up with brown butter, it's rich and divine. When paired with salted caramel, the cake is given a new dimension with the added sugar and salt. Add pears (poached in honey for a buttery finish), creamy milk ice cream, and crunchy caramelized hazelnuts, and this dessert is perfect for the cold days of January. 

in the kitchen x the last dessert of 2014

Such a dramatic title, but this is the first post of 2015, I'm allowed. I'm so excited to start fresh for the new year and to begin my second year blogging. It's been amazing to see the transformation from my first dessert, to how my style has evolved just one year later. This coming year is going to be even better. On to more important things, is dessert. This is a hodgepodge of my favorite things; carrot cake, toasted meringue, and poached seckel pears. While I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, toasted meringue is even better. The golden raspberries add a nice tartness that cuts the sweetness of the meringue. The pears are poached in winter spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom, so a simple vanilla ice cream is a nice canvas for the spiced fruit. Last but not least is the date puree, an homage to dried fruit for winter, and a sprinkle of caramelized hazelnuts for some texture.