Bruleed Banana Cheese Gingersnap Treats (Croques Banane Brie Recipe)

I have Lulu to thank for inspiring me to prepare this snack. He was feeling a bit peckish, but there wasn’t a lot of food at home (the refrigerator is broken ). We had some brie leftover from my little munchkin’s birthday party, so he took a wedge of it and put it on a gingersnap cookie. Lulu was very proud of himself and offered me a bite.

The mixture of sweet and salty flavors and soft and crunchy textures was very pleasant, and it instantly took me back in time to my childhood. When I came home from school, I used to make myself brie and banana “sandwiches” with baguette or just sliced bread. It was probably my favorite snack. Given that there were some very ripe bananas in the house along with the brie and gingersnaps, it seemed only fitting that I should share a little bite of my childhood with Lulu and my little munchkin.

Of course, I’m not 7 anymore, so I decided to jazz it up a little. Caramelizing the bananas brought out additional flavors that really complemented the creaminess of the brie. And instead of white bread I used gingersnap cookies as the delivery device for the banana brie combo (thanks Lulu!). I’ve often found myself disappointed when I try to relive the memories of my favorite childhood dishes. This, happily, was not one of those times!

Agar Agar Cherry Panna Cotta Recipe

Agar agar panna cotta is my way of making a light dessert suitable for a strict vegetarian diet. Agar agar powder is a good gelatin substitute for vegans and vegetarians. It's derived from seaweed and is cooked the same way you would gelatin. It's widely used in Asia, especially for making rau câu (Vietnamese jello cake).

This time around I decided to flavor the panna cotta with cherries. I incorporated fresh fruit, cherry extract and a little red food coloring to make the dessert more appealing. We have some very pretty verrines which I used as the molds. It’s a tasty summer dessert with definite visual appeal!

Mango Carrot Mousse Recipe (Verrines de Mousse de Carottes)

This mango carrot mousse recipe is a refreshing escape from everyday ingredients. It has an Asian flair to it because of the use of mango, ginger and cinnamon. To the mango mousse, I added shredded carrots cooked in milk and agave nectar. I purposely didn't blend the carrots with the mascarpone cheese  in a food processor so there would still be a slightly coarse texture to the mousse, which I find very pleasant.

Whenever I'm on a quest to make a new dessert, I always keep in mind that most people appreciate  a little decadence. Serving the mousse in small verrines is a great way to keep rich desserts from becoming excessive, and it also makes the desserts more elegant. It will keep the dessert fans in your life coming back for more!

Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

I made Earl Grey ice cream sandwiches today with homemade Earl Grey tea ice cream. One member in my family is allergic to eggs, so this recipe suits her perfectly, as no eggs are involved in this dessert. I used chocolate chip Walkers shortbread cookies, which are eggless as well. At the same time, I thought I'd experiment a bit in advance of my little munchkin's big birthday party at the end of the month. She's been such a good girl, helping me out all week long since she's on vacation. I thought this would be the perfect treat to reward her because the sandwiches are perfect for little hands and fingers!

I absolutely adore the flavor combination; the bergamot in Earl Grey tea has a truly distinctive flavor which, -interestingly- tastes almost like Fruit Loops cereal when mixed in ice cream batter. For convenience, and because they taste great, I made ice cream sandwiches using packs of Walkers chocolate chip cookies. If you have time, you could also make homemade chocolate chip cookies for the sandwiches.

How To Make Vietnamese Yogurt (Homemade Yogurt Recipe)

The weather is getting so much warmer in the Bay Area that I thought we all could use a cool treat. Of course, I pulled out the ice cream machine, but since we’ve been exercising lately, I decided a healthy alternative was in order. So that’s why I pulled out my yogurt jars and made our family's favorite: Vietnamese yogurt. In Vietnamese, it's called sữa chua, which literally translates to "sour milk". It's also often referred to as da ua, which is the pidgin French term for "yaourt" (Vietnamese language swallows the consonant sounds from the French term).

Making Vietnamese yogurt is very easy and doesn’t even require a yogurt maker. The main ingredient is of course milk (sữa bò); to this are added condensed milk (hộp sữa đặc), warm water (nước sôi) and a ready-made-made yogurt (starter) to start the fermentation. You can find this starter, called hủ da ua cái, in Asian stores for $1.50 to $2.00 a jar.

Vietnamese yogurt is soft and tastes sour, sweet and a little tart. Once you try it, you'll be just as addicted as my family is!