The Hungry Meeple

Tag: Dessert

  • Cornmeal Cakes with Honey and Berries: Dessert for Earth the Board Game

    Cornmeal Cakes with Honey and Berries: Dessert for Earth the Board Game

    by Ramon Mercado

    Ingredients:

    Corn Cake: 

    • ¾ cup fine cornmeal,
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon table salt 
    • 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
    • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
    • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 3 large eggs, room temperature
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    • ¼ cinnamon (optional)

    Cream Cheese whipped cream:

    • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1/3 cup white sugar 
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch salt 

    Toppings:

    • 4 ounces blueberries and strawberries, 
    • 2 tablespoons wild honey

    Instructions:

    Corn cake: 

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease cupcake pan or similar pan.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cornmeal together. In a large bowl, whisk 1½ cups sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract
    • Whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. 
    • Portion batter into cupcake pan, for about ¼ cup of batter and do not overfill. 
    • Bake for about 20 mins, rotating pan to ensure even cooking. Cakes are done when browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
    • Let cakes cool for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely in a cooling rack for about 1 hour.  4

    Cream Cheese whipped cream

    • In a bowl, whisk cream cheese until light and fluffy,
    • Add vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined,
    • Lower speed to low and slowly add heavy cream; then increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks 
    • Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

    Assembly:

    • For each individual cake top with frosting, add berries and a drizzle of wild honey. 

    Game Night  Tips

    Conclusion

    It is very gratifying sharing drinks and  food with friends and family and playing a game afterwards makes the experience even better. Give this recipe a try and share your experience and your inspirations too.

  • Keto Cassata Cake:  Dessert inspired by Messina 1347 Board Game

    Keto Cassata Cake:  Dessert inspired by Messina 1347 Board Game

    by Zaida Marrero

    Welcome to our culinary adventure, where we blend the enchanting world of board games with the delectable delights of a keto-friendly lifestyle. Today, we present a mouthwatering creation that will tantalize your taste buds and cater to the dietary needs of you or your keto-loving friends: Keto Cassata Cake, inspired by Messina 1347 (by Vladimir Suchy and Fernandez Aparicio, RIO Grande Games) .

    Eating a specific diet doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor, creativity, or the joy of indulging in a delightful dessert. With a touch of inspiration, we have carefully designed this recipe, keeping in mind the dietary restrictions and preferences of our keto-loving friend, who also happens to be an avid board game enthusiast.

    As we delved into the art of baking, we drew inspiration from the rich culinary history of Sicily. The origins of the Cassata cake can be traced back to this beautiful Mediterranean island, where it has been a beloved sweet treat for centuries. During the Arabs’ influence on the island, the Arabs introduced vibrant and exotic ingredients such as citrus fruits, almonds, and sweet ricotta cheese, which became essential components in Sicilian desserts.

    The classic Cassata cake is a layered masterpiece, typically made with sponge cake soaked in liqueur, filled with a sweet ricotta and candied fruit filling, and covered with a smooth layer of marzipan. The cake is then intricately decorated with vibrant colors and ornate designs, reflecting the artistic traditions of Sicilian craftsmanship.

    We have carefully crafted a recipe that captures the essence of the traditional Cassata, using keto cakes, cheese, orange zest, nuts and sugar free chocolate. We hope to create a guilt-free indulgence for our keto-loving friend.

    So, Get ready to savor each moment of this delicious adventure as we present to you our delightful Keto Cassata Cake.

    Ingredients:

    Keto cake:

    • 2 cups almond flour
    • 1/2 cup granulated erythritol 
    • 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream * optional
    • 2 tsp Baking powder
    • 4 eggs
    • 4 oz or 1/2 bar cream cheese
    • 1 tsp Almond extract optional
    • 2 tsp Vanilla
    • 1/2 bar butter
    • Orange zest
    • 1/4 tsp salt

    Ricotta filling:

    • 6 ounces (3⁄4 cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese
    • 6 ounces (3⁄4 cup) mascarpone cheese
    • ¼ cup erythritol confectioners’ sugar or more to taste
    • ¼ cup chopped unsweetened chocolate chips
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon orange zest 
    • 1⁄8 teaspoon table salt
    • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped fine

    Instructions:

    For the cake:

    • Beat cream cheese butter and sugar
    • Add eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest
    • Mix dry ingredeintas  and add them to the wet ingredients. Let rest.
    • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
    • Divide batter in cup cake mold, don’t overfill
    • Bake at 350°F (160°C) for 20 minutes rotating midway, until toothpick inserted in the middle is clean.

    For the filling: 

    • Stir ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and zest in a large bowl until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; stir to recombine before serving) .Fill the cupcakes and sprinkle with chocolate chips and pistachios before serving. 

    Game Night  Tips

    Conclusion

    It is very gratifying sharing drinks and  food with friends and family and playing a game afterwards makes the experience even better. Give this recipe a try and share your experience and your inspirations too.

  • Star Wars inspired Mini- Galaxy Cakes

    Star Wars inspired Mini- Galaxy Cakes

    adapted by Zaida Marrero from ATK Mirror Cake and featured on the Podcast Episode #2

    I got inspired by the actual “board” of Star Wars: The Clone Wars board game. The board shows a collection of planets from Star Wars galaxy. I decided to bake miniature cakes that will resemble a hemisphere of a planet protruding from the board. The dark and the light sides of the force are also integrated in the flavors of the cake. A dark chocolate cake represents the the dark side of the force and a white chocolate buttercream and glaze represent the light side of the force. As a little detail, these mini planets have chocolate ganache centers that, while optional, will surprise your guests with a delicious planet core.

    Mini Galaxy Cake

    Here’s how to make this galactic dessert perfect for the upcoming May 4th or any Star Wars related activity.

    You will need:

    • Semi sphere, oven safe, silicone mold
    • Your favorite cake recipe or store-bought cake mix. I made Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes recipe from ATK.
    • Your favorite frosting recipe or store-bought frosting. I made White Chocolate Swiss buttercream.
    • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli*)
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 1 tbsp confection sugar *
    • 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
    • 3/4 cup of water
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cup of white chocolate
    • gel food coloring in different colors. I used pink, black, turquoise and purple
    • baking tray with wire rack
    • fine-mesh strainer

    Instructions:

    1. For the ganache centers: Place bittersweet chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator for 20 mins.
    2. For the cakes: Prepare cake batter according to your recipe or box mix instructions. Place the silicone molds on top of a baking sheet to help moving the silicone molds in and out the oven easier. Fill the semi-spheres of the mold with cake batter. Gently place dollops (about 1 tsp) of chocolate ganache in the center of each cake. Bake cakes according to recipe and rotate half way through baking. Since these are small cakes check doneness in 18-20 mins. Use the force and you’ll know when they are ready! Also, you can insert a toothpick in the center of a cake and if it comes out clean, the cakes are ready. Let the cakes cool in molds for 10 mins, then transfer to the wire rack and let cool for 1 hour.
    3. For the frosting: Prepare frosting batch according to your recipe or do nothing if you are using store-bought frosting.
    4. To frost: Spread frosting throughout each cake with a small spatula. Place wire rack inside baking sheet, and you can place a piece of parchment paper between the baking sheet and wire rack to help with cleanup. Place frosted cakes on wire rack and place the baking sheet with cakes in freezer while making glaze or in refrigerator for a longer period of time.
    5. For the gelatin glaze: In small bowl, use spoon to stir together gelatin and ¼ cup water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
    6. In small saucepan, combine sugar, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and remaining ½ cup water. Cook sugar mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally with rubber spatula, until mixture starts to bubble around edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner.
    7. Scrape gelatin mixture into sugar mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add white chocolate chips and stir until melted and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
    8. Place fine-mesh strainer in medium bowl. Pour chocolate mixture through strainer; discard solids. Let glaze cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    9. Pour ½ cup glaze into liquid measuring cup. Pour another ½ cup glaze into second liquid measuring cup. Add gel food coloring to each glaze and combine in bowl according to your preferences.
    10. Remove cakes from freezer/refrigerator. Working quickly, pour glaze over top of chilled cakes.
    11. Let cakes sit for 5 minutes, allowing extra glaze to drip off cake. Slide spatula under cakes and carefully lift glazed cakes. Transfer glazed cakes to serving platter and place in refrigerator to chill until glaze is set and no longer sticky, about 20 minutes.
    12. Remove cakes from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving.