Sorry about the delay, but back to business...

Thanksgiving has come and gone and the christmas is well upon us. As winter's icy grip tightens, we are greeted with need to eat more high caloric foods. Even if we tell ourselves that we won't have that second piece of pie, we all know that deep in the recesses of our primal instincts that we crave for those foods that will help up keep warm though out those cold months. Problem is we don't live in caves anymore. And we all rely on artificial heat provided by the electric, oil, or gas company. So, there is  the rub.  Extra calories that we usually burn off during those rough winters when food is scarce.  Nowadays, there is always a supermarket that seems to never run out of food, in season or not.  Pastry chefs are faced with a major problem this time of year (depending where you live). Local and sustainable seems to be out of the questions when the weather takes a turn for the worst.  The question is what do you make at this time of year?  Fruits don't make sense, even apples go out of season.
This is when I turn to the bottle. My desserts take a dive off the wagon and get a little inebriated.  Bourbons, liqueurs, and other spirits seem to fill my pantry shelves as staples instead of the berries and drupes of summers past. Caramels and spices inhabit my recipes as I try to find the proper balance between sweet and savory. And still to this day my favorite ingredient in a winter dessert is maple syrup. Not only maple syrup, but maple and whiskey.  Sweet and smokey.  It's like eating a butterscotch candy with a kick and a hell of a lot more flavor.  
I've poached my last pear, and cooked my final strudel.  Even pie does not excite me anymore.  Winter is upon us, it time to eat and enjoy like we really should.  Gluttony is a sin, only if you feel guilty about it... And that's what New Year's Resolutions are for anyway.  So Bundle up and loosen that belt it's time to have dessert.


Here is an easy one for those last minute dessert requests.
Ricotta Impastata Cake with Spiced Berry Compote





1# Ricotta Impastata 
4 yolks 
3 oz heavy cream
1 orange, zested
4 oz sugar
1 tbsp vanilla


1. Cream ricotta and sugar.  Add yolk one at a time.
2. fold in cream, zest, and vanilla.  
3. Bake in a covered water bath at 300F for 40 minutes.


Spiced Berry Compote


1 cup blueberries
1 oz dried cherries
4 oz sugar
2 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz water
2 cinnamon sticks


1. Add al indriedients to a pot.
2. Simmer till blueberries burst and cherries rehydrate. chill and set aside. 


Enjoy!  Stay sharp and happy holiday!