Nostaligia and Desserts

One thing I have noticed from talking to people about their dessert preferences and all-time favorite desserts is that, more so than savory foods, dessert preferences are largely determined by nostalgia. I'm not trying to get too philosophical here and I'm not trying to say desserts are all relative, because we all know that's not true. What I'm saying is that pastry chefs who play off comforting, nostalgic, childhood-longing feelings and flavors that we have surrounding dessert are seriously onto something. I think this is true for savory dishes as well, but it is overwhelmingly true when is comes to sweets.

I came to this conclusion from watching reactions people in my life have to certain sweet things and their complete indifference to others. For some it's cookies, rice pudding, and chocolate and for others it's key lime pie, wedding cake, and gummy bears. People have serious opinions when it comes to sweets. The faces of complete elation and utter disgust are so extreme in conversations I have with friends about their dessert preferences. People are often incredible defensive and amazed when you say you're not that crazy about one of their favorite sweets, they just can't believe it, but often enough it's because we don't have the same nostalgic feelings surrounding the specific sweet thing.

So often beyond just plain ol' personal preferences, peoples underlying favorites are determined by their childhood memories, special holiday sweets, and foods that gives them that comforting and deeply satisfying feeling. Here are some of my favorite sweet things:

1. chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, but not most chocolate cakes (they are often so dry and not chocolatety.
2. cereal (I think this was the most frequently eaten food from my childhood, my body is probably primarily made of cereal; cinnamon puffins anyone?)
3. apple pie (late summer, early fall was all about picking apple and making pie, but you've got to have great vanilla ice cream too)
4. blackberry crisp (also a summer favorite, picking buckets full, getting scratched up everywhere, and coming home with purple teeth)
5. really good strawberry ice cream from the Scoop in Fairfax, vanilla honey lavender ice cream too come to think of it
6. angelettes, a secret family recipe, sort of like a walnut shortbread, but better, the size of a quarter you can keep popping them into your mouth all day until you realize you've eaten a few sticks of butter
7. these cute raspberry teacakes that my sister and I made growing up, they were a rich buttery cookie with raspberry jam baked in mini cupcake tins. I haven't had them since I was little, where the heck is that recipe anyhow?
8. white nectarines, perfectly ripe, perfectly sweet, first good one of the summer seriously takes my breath away.
9. raspberries. with chocolate. or put on your fingers like little red thimbles and popped in your mouth.
10. hot chocolate with cayenne and sea salt, no marshmallow or whip creme, just give me the chocolate please and a roaring fire and a good book.

Lemon Souffle Pudding

I came across this recipe at Joy's blog recently and was excited about it because:
a. it looked delicious
b. it's made with ingredients I tend to have on hand
c. it can be made in cute little individual ramikins or in one 9-inch pan
d. it's kinda like two desserts in one because you get a souffle/cake layer and a lemon custard layer

We're having a guest over for dessert tonight at the house, so it seems like the perfect day to try this little honey. Just click the title to link to the original recipe.

Lemon Souffle Pudding

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter six – 1 cup ramekins. I used one buttered 8-inch cake pan (a 9-inch glass pie pan works too).

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sugar to use when whipping the egg whites. Place the remaining sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the lemon zest to the sugar. With the back of a spoon, or spatula, grind the lemon zest into the sugar, creating a fragrant, slightly yellow tinged sugar. Working the zest into the sugar will release lots of the essential oils in the zest, creating a super lemony batter. Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the lemony sugar and butter. Add the three egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in the lemon juice and milk. Set aside while you beat the egg whites.

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, in three additions, mixing only until incorporated.

Carefully pour (or use a ladle) the batter into the prepared ramekins. (The batter does not rise much during baking so you can fill the ramekins almost to the rim.) I poured the entire mixture into the 8-inch cake pan. Place the ramekins in a larger baking pan (or any size pan that will fit the ramekins and leave about 1 inch (2.54 cm) around the edges). Or place the 9-inch baking dish in a larger basting pan and set on your counter

Boil a tea pot of water to create a water bath. (A water bath is used to provide temperature protection for the eggs.) Place the basting pan with the souffle inside into the oven, carefully pulling the oven rack out a bit. Carefully pour in enough hot water so that the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins or pie dish, and carefully slide the rack back into the oven.

Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes or until the sponge cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Be careful not to insert the toothpick into the lemon sauce at the bottom of the ramekins. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool slightly before serving.

This dessert can be served warm or at room temperature. Dust the tops of the puddings with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar and dress with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh fruit (optional).