Dessert Oasis: Fantastical Desserts and Recipes from Michael's Kitchen

Photo credit Michael’s Kitchen Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort

Ever felt like dessert menus are becoming a bit...predictable? A chocolate cake of some sort, a fruit-based pastry, cheesecake or tiramisu, a pudding or flan, and an ice cream or sorbet. Yawn.

Fortunately, we recently came across a restauranteur who has not forgotten the childlike joy and simple pleasure that dessert can bring: chef Michael Blum, who recently opened Michael's Kitchen in Miami. He's bringing a bit of pomp and circumstance--as well as a needed dose of fun--back to the institution of dessert, serving up fanciful sweets like desserts like N'awlins style Bananas Foster, Twinkie Tiramisu, Over-the-Top Baked Alaska and the Milky Way Chocolate Malt, and our favorite, the Deep Dish Rice Krispie Dessert Pizza (what can we say, we're in a cereal state of mind lately!).

And while you're probably intrigued by these dessert offerings, perhaps you are wondering: why would Cakespy be so cruel as to spotlight a place so far away? Well, for those of you whose travel plans don't include a Florida getaway anytime soon, we're happy to report that after having written a gushing love note to the management, they were kind enough to donate not one but two recipes for their coveted desserts--Deep Dish Rice Krispie Pizza and Twinkie Tiramisu, which are both listed below. Sweet!

Finally, dessert's fun again; this is a trend we hope will catch on!

If you live in or have plans to visit the Miami Area, Michael's Kitchen is obviously a must-visit; they're located at 16701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. Or, check them out online at michaels-kitchen.com.

RECIPE 1: White Chocolate Raspberry or Strawberry Rice Krispie Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 (10 oz.) package regular marshmallows

- Or -

• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies®
• White Chocolate Shavings to taste for garnish
• Your choice of jam or preserves, to taste (we like a thicker layer, but this recipe calls for a thinner one)

Directions

1. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into 9 x 2-inch deep dish round pan coated with cooking spray.

4. When cool remove from pan by using a hot water bath. Put pan into water for about 30 seconds.

5. To decorate: Spread a thin layer of raspberry or strawberry jam into the center of the circle of the pizza, leaving the “crust” of the pizza bare. Then add white chocolate shavings for the cheese look and sliced strawberries as pepperoni and raspberries as other toppings. NOTE: feel free to use any kind of toppings that your heart desires, there a no limits to this dessert…. Be creative!!!! Best if served the same day.

Serving Size one 9 inch round


RECIPE 2: Twinkie Tiramisu

At Michael’s Kitchen we serve these as individual desserts in 2 inch by 2 inch square glass containers.

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream (40% milk fat)
• 5 oz granulated Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Espresso (plus a little bit more for dipping the lady fingers)
• 1.5 pounds of Mascarpone cheese
• 8 yolks
• Lady Fingers (at least 36 cookies)
• 1 box Twinkies

Directions:

1. Use an electric mixer with Wisk attachment and a cold bowl. Place heavy cream and 2 ozs of sugar in bowl and beat until stiff peaks, making whipped cream. This process takes about 3-4 minutes depending on strength of mixer.

2. Remove whipped cream from mixer and place it into the freezer while mixing the other ingredients.

3. Separate the yolks from the whites and place the yolks into a new cold bowl. Beat yolks and the remaining 3 ozs of sugar together. This process takes about 4 minutes. The mixture should look a pale yellow and about 4 times what the mixture started out as.

4. Add the mascarpone cheese until well incorporated and than add 3 Tablespoons of the espresso. Mix for about 20 seconds longer.

5. Remove this mixture from mixer and fold the cream into it. These two mixtures should be combined into one mixture leaving few streaks.

To Assemble:

1. Prepare espresso into a cup of coffee. Taking two ladyfingers break them in half and dip them into the warm espresso.

2. Place ladyfingers into the bottom of the ramekins.

3. Add the tiramisu cream to the top of the ramekin and take a knife across the top of it to clean off the edge.

4. Repeat this process until all cream is gone.

5. Cut the Twinkies in half on a bias and place one half on each tiramisu.

Note: best if refrigerated for a couple of hours but also can be served right after made.

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Pie in the Sky: Demystifying Sweet Pies (With Help from the Mini Pie Revolution)

What is pie, really? According to the dictionary, "a baked food having a filling of fruit, meat, pudding, etc., prepared in a pastry-lined pan or dish and often topped with a pastry crust." Well, to put it simply, it's a very open-ended food; one of those unique and versatile dishes that can go sweet as easily as it does savory. But even focusing on just the sweet pies, there's still an overwhelming amount of variety as to what a pie can be; from lemon meringue to Chess Pie to classic apple a la mode, it's enough to make one's head spin. Recently, we got a little help from Ann and Karyn, some of the masterminds behind the Mini Pie Revolution (take that, cupcakes!) in decoding the pie family genus. Here's how Karyn explained the differences between the primary types of sweet pies (sorted alphabetically):

Cream Pies: Where eggs are used with heavy cream to make a silky, thick base. These are a subset of custard pies, and the boundaries between them often blur. If you're going to throw a pie at someone, cream pies are the obvious choice. I

think cream pies are a bit more, should I say democratic?, than fruit pies. You can make many using nothing more than pantry staples. '50s housewives loved them. Photo left: Banana Cream pie from Billy's Bakery, NYC.

Custard Pies: Any pie where eggs are used to set a liquid. Pumpkin pie's a good example. I would suggest that lemon and lime pies fall into this category as well, along with pudding pies and most chocolate pies. Cakespy Note: another one which has fascinated us in the past is the Hoosier Pie, a kind of sugar-custard pie which seems to be big in the American mid-west. Photo left: Pumpkin pie from the North Hill Bakery, Seattle.

Fruit Pies: I would suggest that the fruit pie family includes any pie where whole fruit or chopped fruit combines with a thickener to create a filling. I confess, I love fruit pies, especially those combination-berry pies that balance sweet and tart flavors. I love them too because they can be so intensely regional and seasonal. In the summer, I love blackberry and blueberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream. In New England, apple pies with cheddar cheese are the norm, while the best cherry pies (in my experience) hail from Michigan. Strawberry-rhubarb pies for the spring fling, pumpkin pies for Turkey Day. Fruit pies are cultural pies, family pies; traditional pies. There's not much new-fangled about them (though there always could be) and I think people like that. Photo Left: Apple Pie made by Mr. Cakespy's cute sister Annalea, Lynnwood, Washington.

Mousse Pies and Chiffon Pies: Egg whites are the major player here, though many recipes call for gelatin as well.

Nut Pies: I lump all pies requiring nuts set with corn syrup in this category (including peanut pie, though peanuts are legumes, not nuts); Walnut pie, Kentucky Derby pie, Pecan pie . . . while some of the recipes contain eggs, the eggs don't set a liquid, which is what I think separates nut pies from custard and cream pies. I might lump in sweet bean-based pies, too, since the beans were used when people didn't have nuts.

Whew! Glad we got all that figured out. Of course, we won't even get into the poetry and lore of pie crust; however, may we suggest this great post on Smitten Kitchen? Also, if you haven't already read it, there is a wonderful essay on the quest for the perfect crust in Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything.

But now, to answer the pressing pie questions:

What is the difference between a tart and a pie? No, tarts aren't just pretentious pies. A tart is always uncovered, and generally made in special, delicately shaped tins. So by this logic a tart is a pie, while a pie is not necessarily a tart. However, the general connotation is that a pie is more rustic, peasant fare, where a tart is more refined. Also, pastry chef Chris Jarchow (who, incidentally, made the tart pictured to the left) points out that tarts are generally defined further by the use of Pâte Sucrée (sweetened crust) as opposed to Pâte Brisée (unsweetened crust), which is what you'd see on say, an apple pie.

Are pies an aphrodisiac?: Yes--according to a study in which (we want to be paid to do studies like this), men's "vital statistics" were measured based on certain smells, pumpkin pie elicited the biggest response. When approached for fact-checking, Mr. Cakespy couldn't say that pumpkin pie would be his first choice though.

Why do they call it a pizza "pie"? Well, "pizza" literally translates to "pie" or "torte" (thus really rendering "pizza pie" a bit redundant). While pizza does share general traits with a savory pie, the major difference is usually that its crust contains yeast (more bread-y), and so is not quite a  pastry crust. According to the dictionary this makes it technically not a pie--but really, we'd just as soon eat some rather than argue over the details.

Is Boston Cream Pie really a pie? Tasty as it is, this sponge cake, chocolate and custard confection is technically this is not a pie--check out this article for the explanation of why "pie" may have gotten into its name. Other tasty treats that are not actually pies include the

Moon Pie and the Whoopie Pie. Some versions of the Mississippi Mud Pie are really more like cakes, although some do have a decidedly pie-like cookie crust.

Is pie the new cake? Well, some may say so, but the choice--pie, cake, other--is really up to you. However, we must say that at Cakespy, we think these adorable mini pie - cupcake hybrids cropping up recently are awfully cute. Of course, you could duke it out with Pie Vs. Cake artwork available at the Cakespy Etsy store too.

Cakespy Note: Thank you to our sources for this writeup, including Ann and Karyn of the Mini Pie Revolution, Pastry chef Chris Jarchow, the following books: Everything You Pretend to Know about Food (And Are Afraid Someone Will Ask) by Nancy Rommelmann, James McNair's Pie Book, and Joy of Cooking's All About Pies and Tarts; online we got some help from American Heritage, What's Cooking America and Joy of Baking.

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Cake Byte: Sweet News From Cakespy

New tees and totes and features aplenty--oh my! Here's the big news at Cakespy this week:

Thank you to two very special people (MCQ and NBM) for suggesting that we add classic Cakespy designs to products at Cafepress! While you can still buy original art, buttons and more at Head Spy Jessie's Etsy store, we now have more options, including tote bags, t-shirts and stickers available at cafepress.com/cakespy. Sweet!

Cakespy loves Serious Eats, Not Martha and Tastespotting (thanks to Oh Mindy); they all gave us a sweet mention this week! Thank you!

Finally, check out the artwork we did for the awesome Milwaukee Cupcake Queen and for cool cupcake blog KimberleyC Baking! 

Holy Cowvin: A Good Cookie (Which Happens to be Vegan)

Photo credit goes to Greg Schaler Photography; thank you to Sticky Fingers Bakery for permission to use the image!

The subject of vegan pastries really brings out some passionate feelings. There are those (usually non-vegans) who swear that they don’t taste as good as dairy desserts; there are those (usually vegans) who insist that they taste a whole lot better. As for the Cakespy crew? While few of us eat a strictly vegan diet, perhaps our vegan vs. non-vegan cupcake tasting best sums up our feelings: while they can sometimes taste different than their dairy counterparts, vegan pastries are often good--really good--once you get past certain preconceived notions.

However, sometimes a baked good comes along that is just so good that it defies labels: vegan, non-vegan, who cares—it’s just good.

And the Cowvin Cookie from the Sticky Fingers Bakery in Washington DC, is definitely one of these exceptional baked goods: a cookie bar comprised of a rich oatmeal cookie crust cradling a generous dollop of rich, creamy, delicious, dairy-be-damned frosting in the middle. In fact, it was an experience so pleasurable that East Coast Cake Gumshoe Jenny described it as so good that she saved the second half til later so that she could continue to savor the experience all day (got to love that restraint!).

And certainly, the Cowvin can be loved for its story as well as its taste: the name is inspired by a real-life veal calf by the same name who was rescued from becoming a special of the day by do-gooders in the DC metro area. The little guy was placed in the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, Maryland, where he lived out his days in bucolic bliss. Cowvin loved oats, so it seemed appropriate to name an oatmeal cookie-cream bar in his honor--especially since it is dairy-free!

Now that’s what we’d call a sweet treat—one you’ll enjoy whether you’re vegan or not!

Want to make ‘em? Well, you’re on your own there—the recipe’s top secret! However, the kind folks at Sticky Fingers wouldn't leave you hanging; they'll ship them nationwide for $18.50 per half dozen (so worth it) plus shipping and handling; order them (and other pastries too!) by phone: (202) 299-9700, or order online at stickyfingersbakery.com.

Or, if you're in the DC area, just go visit! They're located at 1370 Park Rd. NW, one block north of the Columbia Heights metro stop.

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Icing on the Cake: Cakespy Dishes Up Sweet Fashion Advice

Last week, we told you how we think you should decorate your apartment. Presumptuous? Perhaps. But really, having gone that far, we would be truly remiss if we told you to trick out your apartment and didn't tell you to pick up a little something for yourself. So why not check out some of the cutest new crop of cake and dessert-related jewelry around? And what perfect timing, with Valentine's Day just around the corner; pick out your favorites, or pick something for your sweetie! Here are our picks:

One of our go-to sources for all sorts of jewelry is Pancake Meow. Not only are the designs clever and adorable--they offer charms shaped in a variety of styles, from cupcakes to waffles complete with dollop of butter, to chocolate chip cookies--oh, and did we mention they're scented?! We are loving the brand-new strawberry crepes (photo left). Order early though; each piece is made to order. What can we say, good things come to those who wait. Most charms are in the range of $20 and up; available online at pancakemeow.com.

Bonus: Love smelling like your favorite baked good? Well, thanks to EB of SpiceDish, we now know that you can get Yummy Cupcake perfume for just $20 at Torrid stores. For locations, check out torrid.com.

Looking for a spot to shop for ice-cream scoop, cupcake and brass ring inspired jewelry all at once? Happily, you'll find your source at Pnut, a jewelry company which we first spied on All Things Cupcake. This is jewelry with some serious dark humor: ever so slightly gothy, but ultimately self-aware and a little cheeky, the pieces are beautifully crafted: think bleeding hearts meet sweet treats. It's all right up our alley; the hardest part is picking a favorite: we alternate between the double pop with "you" and "me" written on the popsicle sticks (shown at the top of this post; $85), the scoop ring ($95), the Sterling silver ice cream cone with gems ($200), or the intensely covetable 18k white gold cupcake with diamonds ($2275--hey, we can dream, right?). Available online at pnutjewelry.com.

If you're among those who say that pie is the new cake, be sure to check out this adorable pendant by Kieutiepie. We love the handmade, charming feel of the felted necklace, which looks as cozy as a pie just out of the oven. And what a steal: this necklace is only $15. Act quickly though: while similar styles may pop up, this one is one of a kind! Available online at kieutiepie.etsy.com!

Perhaps you find it impossible to commit to just one type of baked good? For the baker-of-all-trades, kitchen-gadgetry pendants by Brooklyn-based Ball+Chain are an ideal pick; we have been obsessed with them ever since Cake Gumshoe Allison came across them. The elegant and clever pendants are inspired by the (self-taught!) artist's own collection of vintage hand mixers and kitchen tools--how cool is that? But a word to the wise: if you see something you like, snap it up! While similar styles may crop up, each is an original, so there are no absolute guarantees! The silver "mixmaster" is $60; available online at ballandchain.etsy.com.

Looking for something handcrafted, luminous and ever so slightly cheeky all at once? Check out Rockerjewelz, a Bay Area-based company (check out the sweet story of how the designer got started on her site, listed below!). The pieces are made from glass beads that catch light oh-so-prettily; earrings, pendants and bracelets are available in "flavors" like Lemon Tart, Key Lime, and Cherry on top (our favorite, because they reminds us of the cupcakes at another Bay Area treasure, Miette Patisserie!). Prices vary depending on intricacy; available online at rockerjewlz.etsy.com; see more at her blog or at rockerjewlz.com!

Finally, we know that you've heard of them and perhaps even seen their cute cupcake charms, but our attentions are currently focused the new candy designs by Juicy Couture--not only are the charms themselves adorable, with a Marie-Antoinette worthy color palette and cute candy and cakey shapes, but they're expertly packaged in a chocolate-type box. What's not to love? The Sweet Shoppe charm bracelet is $128 and available online at juicycouture.com.

Did we miss your favorite objects of sweet adornment? Let us know!