I had picked out 15-4: Fruit Salad with Chocolate Sauce specifically because I didn’t think I’d have a ton of time to cook last week, since we took Memorial Day week off to work on some home improvement projects.
I even took EVERY shortcut I could think of to shrink that time commitment down even further (plus, my kitchen was out of commission most of the week), so this will be…we’ll call it truncated. You’ll see what I mean after the jump.
Finishing out what I have for Group 19 with 19-9: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate II, the sequel to 19-8: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate I. The first one is all about coffee, while this one features the tea and chocolate.
Here’s some reading about tea–I don’t have a lot of tea-related recipes for you, so jump behind the cut for what we’re all really here for: the chocolate.
Late spring/early summer means the start of cherry time around here, so it’s finally time to make 16-36: Fresh Cherry Pie.
We watched Twin Peaks (all three seasons and the movie) a few months ago, and ever since, I’ve been craving a slice of damn fine cherry pie. Talk about synergy.
However, this is not quite Norma’s cherry pie…this is Simply Delicious’ cherry pie, so it of course has to include almond paste in some way. If you’re looking for Norma’s cherry pie (which is much closer to typical “cherry pie”), go here. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and watch some Twin Peaks while you’re at it–it’s awesome.
Funnily enough, Twin Peaks and Simply Delicious both exist as excellent representations of the late 1980s-early 1990s. There’s that synergy thing again.
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This one has intrigued me for years…when you’re a kid, it looks absolutely magical. Almost like Ice Cream Mountain, if you know that reference.
As an adult, 15-6: Royal Court Dessert just looks like a sugary headache. Turns out, it’s a little bit of both.
They’re right that this is a pretty quick and easy dessert to make. The hardest part (for me) was actually finding the meringues themselves. I guess I could have made them myself, but that is neither quick nor easy.
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My freezer can only hold so many desserts, so sometimes I mix it up and make breads instead. In this particular case, I made something a little different: 17-69: Crispy Cracker Bread.
These are similar to ak-mak or Wasa crispbread, if you’ve tried either of those. I like them topped with some tuna for lunch, so why not make my own?
On the heels of 19-8: Coffee, Tea, & Chocolate I, I happened to recently make a somewhat-related recipe, 15-22: Cappuccino Ice Cream. I love coffee ice cream, and so does my mom. However, this recipe is NOT what you (or I, or she) would have expected by that title.
I bring my mom up also since it’s just about Mother’s Day (or might already be by the time you read this)–maybe don’t make this one for your mom though, unless she likes coffee slushies. Again, even that sounds better than this actually is.
Finally finishing up Group 19 with the last two cards I have for it–this one, 19-8: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate I and its partner, 19-9: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate II.
Even though it claims to be about coffee, tea, and chocolate, this card is actually only about coffee. You’ll have to refer to Part II for the rest of it.
I have flipped past 14-18: Fried Bananas many times as I’ve gone through these books over the years, and it’s finally time to make it since I live with someone who will actually eat it.
My dad likes fried bananas a lot too–I thought our favorite Chinese food restaurant from when I was a kid served them, but I don’t see them on the menu any longer. I could have sworn I remember him eating them there.
When I searched “fried bananas Chinese restaurant”, it appears it was a 1980s thing in general. Given that both this book and I are from the 1980s, this all makes a lot more sense now.
I’ve fallen behind a little on posting once a week, but I haven’t (yet) fallen behind on making one of these recipes once a week. One step at a time. Next up, I offer you 17-7: Brioches, which is a NEW BOOK recipe.
Simply Delicious claims that the ball on top is common–I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen that. I feel like usually you see brioche buns in more of a standard hamburger bun style, maybe with a slice or two on top. I should have gone with that instead of trying to do the ball on top.
Hello! In case you were in the mood for more fondue after 14-1: Chocolate Fondue, here’s your opportunity.
5-3: Cheese Fondue is the last new recipe I have for Group 5, and is a NEW BOOK recipe (hence why it’s being covered last). I also got to use my mini electric fondue pot again, which is exciting.
Did you know there are actually 4 types of fondue? We’ve covered chocolate and now cheese, but not yet oil or broth.
Someday I’ll figure out how to cover 7-15: Pork Fondue (since I don’t eat meat), but I don’t see any broth fondue recipes in what I’ve got left, so we may never get all 4 varieties. Simply Delicious wasn’t hip on hot pot, evidently.
Also, happy 11th birthday to this beast of a project.